SPLi, a community that promotes women's participation in the workforce, was launched in April 2022 and operates as a community that supports women in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to demonstrate leadership and continuing career development while making the most of their individuality and diverse personalities.

The nickname "SPLi (Supplement)" embodies the idea that, like supplements, which come in a variety of types depending on the purpose, each person will find their own original leadership style through activities that are "effective" for their goals and concerns, and the desire to shine more brightly, be positive, and proactively demonstrate leadership.

The five people appointed as leaders at the launch in 2022 were not all positive from the beginning. There was a real confusion among the leaders that is often left unmentioned in articles.

Yoshiko Yagi (Managing Executive Officer/General Manager of the Solutions Business Development Division) recalls that during her time working at Itoki, she had never felt that women were not actively participating, and so "when the community was launched, I honestly wondered why it was being launched now." However, during a conversation with the president, she heard him say, "Itoki would be even better if it could become a company where women could play a more active role," which made her realize that her perception had been a little naive.

Yumiko Ichikai (Branch Manager, Financial Sales Division, Financial Branch 1, Sales Headquarters) also thought, "Is it too late now?" At the time, she had experience in the Human Resources Department, where she was in charge of promoting women's participation in the workforce, and believed that motivated women were being given opportunities. In fact, the ratio of female managers at Itoki is higher than the average for the manufacturing industry. Depending on the job type, there are areas where there are more men than women, and conversely, there are areas where women dominate.

However, it is also true that the gender gap in Japan remains large when viewed globally. If that is the case, is Japan a country where women are more likely to face unfavorable pressure when advancing their careers? What about our own company? Through launching the community, we have continued to think about what is needed to eliminate this gap.

Additionally, Eriko Suzuki (General Manager of the Governance Department, Corporate Governance Division) admitted that she was "honestly confused" about starting out as a leader at the start of the initiative. "The driving role is to be someone who sets an example, and I was unsure whether I could do that." However, as preparations progressed, she began to reconsider her own role, realizing that "this is not necessarily the case, and that my career and experience could be useful in providing an opportunity to raise awareness among participants."

On the other hand, there were also leaders who were aware of the real issues facing the field.

The department led by Sachiko Kayama (Executive Officer/Head of Work Style Design Division) is made up of 60% female employees, and the environment is full of opportunities for women to thrive. For this reason, she had the impression that "women are able to thrive quite well." However, when she looked at the overall picture after SPLi began, she realized that "there are quite a few people who want to thrive but can't find an opportunity to do so, and people who have the desire but can't take action."

Furthermore, Saeko Kawashima (Executive Officer/Head of Corporate Communications Division), the only leader to join the company mid-career, had felt a sense of discomfort from the moment she joined the company. While there were women active at the field level, there were few women in department manager positions and no women in important final decision-making roles.

"Itoki still has room for improvement in terms of diversity and diversification," Kawashima felt. For her, it was extremely meaningful to launch SPLi as an organization not tied to any particular organization, one that would provide women with opportunities to think independently and autonomously about their own careers, rather than as a way for the company to maintain appearances.

The name SPLi embodies a unique philosophy. Ichikai shares some memorable words from someone outside the company about the concept.

"After we came up with the name SPLi, someone said it was good to say that it's a supplement, not a medicine that cures illnesses, and I think this is the basis of this activity."

Just as different people need different nutrients such as vitamins and calcium, we do not force everyone to take the same thing, but rather encourage them to "participate in what suits you and what you want to participate in." This autonomy is the greatest feature of SPLi.

When SPLi was launched, it defined three roles: "Awareness," "Exchange," and "Learning." The first step is to provide awareness that there are other ways of thinking when it comes to worries such as "How do I build my career?"

Through interaction and awareness, participants can begin to visualize their future careers and begin to wonder what knowledge and skills they will need. SPLi also offers programs that provide a learning opportunity to answer these questions and provide input on knowledge and skills.

SPLi is not a company requirement, but rather a voluntary initiative. As a result, it has attracted a high level of interest, with 12% of female employees participating in the first year.

SPLi 's management policy, which values "autonomy," has brought about major changes in the planning members themselves.

Kayama says that the most memorable thing about the year's activities was that the planning members took the initiative in carrying out the event. "It was the first time for many members to take the initiative in planning and executing an event, but it was clear that seeing it through gave them confidence."

Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing from the start. Suzuki says, "We had trouble along the way, had to go back and do things again, and we managed to see it through to the end on our own." It was because they went through that process that the team members were able to approach their subsequent work with a positive attitude and confidence.

Through these activities, the leaders were also exposed to the "real voices" of people within the company.
Ichikai said, "I realized once again that just imagining things isn't enough." The fact that more members than expected gathered, and that there were more women than expected who were worried about wanting to "try harder, want to do something," was something that could only be understood by hearing their voices directly.

Suzuki shared her realization, saying, "I realized once again that many women have no role models nearby, so they are unable to envision their future careers, and have no opportunities to share their concerns with others, which leaves them with vague anxieties. The ideal situation would be to tell other members around me who are not participating about my activities and experiences with SPLi, so that they can see it as something that concerns them, and say they want to participate voluntarily."

Kawashima also revealed that one comment that made a deep impression on him during the launch phase was, "It will be difficult to participate unless the community itself is linked to the department and made mandatory (job structure)."
This highlights the issue of "psychological safety" in the workplace. That's why we believe it's important to make our activities public both inside and outside the company, raise awareness throughout the company, and create an environment where women can participate with confidence.

SPLi 's activities are not limited to promoting women's empowerment. Leaders are convinced that these activities will also help shape the future of Itoki.

This initiative aims to foster an "open, free, and flat" corporate culture where people who previously found it difficult to speak up can now do so naturally, and where diverse employees can exchange opinions frankly and challenge themselves to find better ways of working and create value.

By utilizing the perspectives of our employees, who have diverse values, experiences, and expertise, we can expand our business as a company and give back to society.

Furthermore, there is a greater need than ever to take on the challenge of evolving the work environment, such as proposing new ways of working that utilize data and technology. To achieve this, it is essential to have a culture that encourages collaboration across departments and allows for the sharing of unprecedented ideas.

We want to become an organization where each employee can work with a positive attitude and further increase the value we provide to society. Each employee builds their own career and brings their experience together, which strengthens the organization. SPLi will continue to be a place that creates opportunities for this.

Starting in January 2026, new leaders will take over SPLi 's activities to connect it to the next generation. Building on the initiative and connections fostered by the original leaders, SPLi continues to evolve, adding its own perspectives and experiences.

Going forward, we plan to introduce the activities and challenges of the new leaders who have taken up the baton, including what kind of thoughts they have about SPLi and what kind of expansion they will bring about.