Asako Osaki graduated from Sophia University and earned a Masters in International Affairs (MIA) (international human rights law and human rights issues) from Columbia University. She joined the Bureau for Development Policy at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) New York Headquarters, where she specialized in promoting gender issues and women’s empowerment. In her work on numerous projects in various countries, she formulated policies and developed systems and skill-building programs that mainstream the gender perspective in the UNDP’s various areas of focus, such as reducing poverty, supporting democratic governance, and conducting recovery in areas damaged by wars and disasters. Ms. Osaki left the UNDP in November 2004 and moved back to Japan to work independently as an expert on international cooperation and gender issues. She works with a broad range of organizations including government organizations, aid agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and research institutions. Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, she served for four years as a gender advisor in the recovery project conducted by the international NGO Oxfam Japan and provided assistance to the women in the disaster-affected areas.