Japanese comedian Yuriyan Retriever to talk about gender stereotypes at SDG Global Festival

SDG Global Festival of Action from Japan

On Thursday, March 25th and Friday, March 26th, "SDG Global Festival of Action from JAPAN" will be held, bringing together UN agencies in Japan and leaders from various fields who are working on the SDGs both at home and abroad.

The event will be centered on innovation, inspiration, and entertainment, and is expected to attract more than 20,000 participants from around the world, with many speakers in their 20s. This is a unique opportunity to share ideas from Japan as well as learn from and make connections with other countries.

Yuriyan Retriever

Yuriyan Retriever will be giving a talk about challenging gender stereotypes at the event. The Yoshimoto Kogyo comedian and tarento won the R-1 Grand Prix earlier this year awarded to Japan's most popular single performer.

She has gained international attention for her performance on "America's Got Talent" in 2019 and her appearance the following year in a cover / parody video of Lady Gaga's "Rain on Me" in which she portrays Arianna Grande opposite Naomi Watanabe in the role of Lady Gaga.

Yuriyan Retriever's lightning talk at SDG Global Festival of Action

Yuriyan Retriever will present a session entitled "Challenge Stereotypes and Unlock Your Potential" in which she will perform a story in English based on Sustainable Development Goal 5, "Achieving Gender Equality."

Entrenched gender stereotypes and negative social norms are still pervasive across countries, hindering equal opportunities to access to quality education, healthcare, employment, political participation and decision-making positions. How can we promote bold actions to advance gender equality? Yuriyan Retriever, a prominent Japanese female comedian, argues that our society is shackled by its own stereotypes of what women should look like, and that we are preoccupied with the compulsion of achieving societal standards. Yuriyan’s performance will encourage you to believe in yourselves to turn it around for gender equality!

"Overcoming Stereotypes! Believe in Yourself" description on SDG Global Festival of Action's website

Session Title: "Challenge Stereotypes and Unlock Your Potential"
Date and time: Friday, March 26, 18:45-19:00 (JST)
[Location] Held online (* Registration is required. Please check the website for details)

By - grape Japan editorial staff.