After being appointed JICA Executive Senior Vice President, lis-tening to an explanation by Tunisian counterpart during site visit of JICA project at Railway station (above) and Reservoir site (below) 22SOPHIA MAGAZINE Vol. 19Sophia Peopledeveloping countries, project interviews for agricultural develop-ment are often attended exclusively by men, even though women are frequently the ones doing the majority of the farm work. “In situations like that, we can’t provide the support that is truly needed. It is crucial to carefully understand the realities on the ground, whether women are really uninvolved and if the benefits of cooperation are actually reaching them,” she explained.“It was yet another opportunity for me to realize just how privi-leged the environment I was raised in truly was. In fact, it is rare in the world for women to have access to higher education and the opportunities to actively participate in society. Even in Japan, I was shocked to hear from younger colleagues at my workplace that their parents had told them “Women don’t need to go to uni-versity.” This made me keenly aware not only of individual choices, but also of deeply ingrained societal norms that persist. It was a pro-foundly meaningful experience for me on a personal level.”Creating an Environment for Dedicated International CooperationDrawing on her experiences, Miyazaki outlined her vision for in-ternational cooperation:“The foundation of international cooperation lies in identifying the needs of our counterparts, proposing solutions, and address-ing those issues. In the case of JICA, which operates on a nation-to-nation basis, it is especially important to ensure that the as-sistance provided ultimately reaches its intended recipients—the people who truly need it.”Miyazaki argued that in an era of compounded crises, including inequality, poverty, and environmental problems, exacerbated by the global divide seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, greater imagination and creativity are needed.“JICA’s approach, characterized by long-term engagement and encouragement of local ownership, is a humble, people-centered approach that values human connections over material aid. This method has earned JICA the reputation of avoiding the percep-tion of imposition of fixed solutions. In today’s world filled with compounded crises, it is increasingly important that we cultivate both the imagination to gain a deep understanding of the local people’s circumstances and perspectives, as well as the creativity to devise effective solutions.”In closing, Miyazaki shared her aspirations as Executive Senior Vice President:“Under President Akihiko Tanaka, who is also an interna-tional political scientist, my role as JICA Executive Senior Vice President is to support his leadership in steering Japan’s inter-national cooperation efforts to better address today’s challenges. While many JICA staff and international stakeholders are highly motivated individuals committed to making global contributions, there’s still room for improvement in employee engagement and commitment to the organization. My goal is to ensure the psy-chological safety of individuals involved in international coopera-tion, both within JICA and among external stakeholders, and to foster a work environment that enables everyone involved to fully realize their potential.
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