Photo/Illutration Shintaro Yamada, founder and president of Mercari Inc. (Provided by the Yamada Shintaro D&I Foundation)

The president of e-commerce marketplace operator Mercari Inc. said he will invest more than 3 billion yen ($27.3 million) of his own money to help reduce the gender gap in Japanese society.

Shintaro Yamada, founder of Mercari, said the mid- to long-term investments in his foundation will first be used for a scholarship program targeting female high school students attending science classes.

He said Aug. 4 that Yamada Shintaro D&I Foundation was set up to create a society where people can fulfill their potential regardless of gender, age, race or religion. D&I refers to “diversity” and “inclusion.”

“I grew up with no serious life problems as part of the majority in society, but after working with a diverse staff and providing products to various customers, I became aware that women and non-Japanese are exposed to unfairness in Japan,” Yamada said at a news conference.

The subsidies will be distributed to 100 girls expected to enroll in science courses at senior high schools or 5-year specialized schools of engineering and technology in spring 2022.

The financial aid will be 250,000 yen annually for public school students and 500,000 yen for those at private institutes.

The recipients will be chosen by lottery, and applicants’ school achievements or parents’ financial situation will not be taken into account.

“I expect our lottery mechanism will spark interest in as wide a range of people as possible,” Yamada said.

According to the foundation, women account for 18 percent of students at science and engineering departments of Japanese colleges and universities, one of the lowest rates among OECD member states.

The female engineer rate is as low as 20 percent in Japan.

“It is at times difficult for women to decide to take science courses because of opposition from people around them as well as the absence of role models,” Yamada said.

The foundation aims to raise the ratio of women among all new university science students to 28 percent by fiscal 2035 through the scholarships and other projects.

It plans to organize such events as lectures by female researchers to spread the appeal of science among girls.

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