We are delighted to announce that today Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (President & CEO: Tatsufumi Sakai) and four other Mizuho group companies1 have received the top rating of gold on the PRIDE Index, an index created by voluntary organization “work with Pride”. This is the fifth year2 in a row for our five Mizuho group companies to receive the gold rating. At the same time, it is the first year for us to be selected for the Best Practice title, which recognizes particularly outstanding initiatives.
Mizuho aims to create a workplace in which LGBT+ employees can work with the same sense of security and peace of mind as any of their colleagues. To that end, we have put in place human resources systems, social welfare systems, and consultation centers to better meet the needs of our diverse workforce. Also, with our internal network for LGBT+ and ally employees taking the lead, we have been holding a range of large-scale events. These initiatives demonstrate that we are developing a corporate culture that enables employees to independently promote further understanding of the LGBT+ community.
In addition to our internal initiatives, we are committed to providing products and services that meet the diverse needs of our customers and society. For example, in 2017 Mizuho Bank, Ltd. became the first Japanese bank to include same-sex partners within the definition of "spouse" applied to joint repayments and combined income calculations for housing loans. In the same year, Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. began allowing same-sex partners to be named as beneficiaries in a personalized trust product.
This year, aiming to help make a world where everyone can be themselves and be happy, Mizuho joined Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2021 (TRP2021) as a sponsor. We also collaborated with our like-minded peers Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. to create a video message conveying our LGBTQ allyship.
The video message allowed us to show everyone participating in TRP2021 that our three financial groups are LGBTQ-friendly companies and that we are working across organizational boundaries towards the goal of realizing an inclusive society. Work with Pride recognized this as a leading initiative for the financial industry and awarded our three financial groups with a shared Best Practice title.
"We will take action: LGBT ally message video from Mizuho, MUFG, and SMBC Group"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2gm5aRkzxc
We will continue to be an organization where every employee can express their individuality and positively contribute to developing solutions for our customers and society. Accordingly, we will promote diversity and inclusion, proactively reflect the varied perspectives and ideas of our employees in our business development and decision-making, and, in turn, create new corporate value in the form of innovative products and improved services.
1. Mizuho Bank, Ltd.; Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.; Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd.; and Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd.
2. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. has received the top rating of gold for six years in a row.