Japan’s prime minister wants to lift the role of women in the workforce.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told an audience of international businesswomen he would change Japan from a male-centered country to one that leads in empowering women.

With Japan’s population aging and declining, Abe believes improving female participation in the workforce is essential for the nation’s future.

Tokyo last week outlined a growth strategy that sets a goal of boosting the number of women in the labor market.

But the strategy faces roadblocks. The recent sexist taunting of a female representative in the Tokyo assembly shows the challenges the country faces in empowering women.