The Kingdom of Spain is located on the cusp of Europe and Africa, next to the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. This strategic location makes it a key political and cultural bridge across five continents. The country has a history of rule by the Romans and the Moors. The culture of Spain comes from the Castilians, Catalonians, Lusitanians, Galicians, Basques, Romans, Arabs, Jews, and Roma (Gypsies) among others. From the 16^th to the 19^th century, Spain had amassed a large empire overseas. In 1936-39, there was a civil war followed by decades long dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Since his death in 1975, Spain has decolonized and transitioned to democracy.

The country is a constitutional monarchy with a king that resumed power after the Franco dictatorship, however he supported primacy of the parliament. His heir and current king, King Felipe VI, has followed suit. As a parliamentary democracy, Spain also has a President who is chosen through parliamentary vote. The parliament has 350 elected representatives from Spanish constituencies. The current President is Pedro Sánchez of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). 

Spain is a unitary state and has 17 regions with their own elected authorities, however there are concerns of separatism in Catalonia. There was a referendum deemed illegal in 2017 that backed Catalonia’s independence from Spain. Madrid imposed rule on the region until regional elections in 2021 as a result.  Spain has contested sovereignty with the United Kingdom (UK) over Gibraltar. It also has conflict with Morocco over the coastal enclaves Ceuta, Melilla, and Isla Perejil. Since 2008, Spain has emerged from the economic recession caused by the 2008 financial crisis. Youth unemployment remains high.

According to international standards for political rights and civil liberties, Spain is considered free. Spain has competitive elections and peaceful transfers of power between rival parties.

Political corruption is a concern, but politicians responsible for it have been successfully prosecuted. The rule of law prevails.

Spain is part of the European Union and an active member contributing to policies on citizenship, cohesion, linguistic diversity, and counterterrorism. Spain also signed the Schengen Agreement that eliminated border controls between member states as part of a Border-Free Europe. Internationally, Spain is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations (UN), and a founding member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Spain maintains relations with Ibero-American and Caribbean countries given shared human, historical, cultural, social, political, economic and linguistic ties. Spain is one of the main investors in Ibero-America and has significant presence in their development and modernisation. Spain is the first country to be an observer state in the Pacific Alliance and is also an observer in the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Ibero-American Integration Association (LAIA), and the Central American Integration System (SICA).

Gender Equity 

In the 2019 European Institute for Gender Equality Spain ranked 9^th in the EU. “Between 2005 and 2017, Spain’s score increased by 7.9 points, progressing towards gender equality at a faster pace than other EU Member States”. Spain’s scores are the highest in the domain of health, and the greatest inequality is in power. This trend of gender equality in health was reinforced again in February 2023 when Spain was hailed by UN experts for its new feminist legislation. The new “legislation in Spain, which guarantees and facilitates access to sexual and reproductive rights in the country”. The news measures ensure “safe and accessible abortion provided by national health agencies; eliminate so-called “reflection processes” arbitrarily imposed on women; ensure access of all women (including lesbian, bisexual, and unmarried women) to assisted reproduction techniques; and introduce menstrual leaves as the first European country to do so”. The same legislation also mandates sexual education in school.  While Spain continues to excel in the domain health areas for improvement persist in other domains. For example, in 2017 106 females were victims of homicide, “of whom 47% were victims of intimate partner femicide.  

In June of 2022, it was announced that Spain joined the ranks of England, Ireland, Norway, and the United States when they announced that both their men’s and women’s teams will receive equal pay for representing their country in international play. The agreement reached in Spain is for five years and also brings equality to travel, food, and accommodation. “The bonuses received in percentages will be equalized”. Players will also receive a percentage of sponsorship contracts.  

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The Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish for ‘Rich Coast’) is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua and Panama to the north and south, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the east and west, respectively. A relatively small country, Costa Rica is seen as an international leader in wildlife conservation and environmentalism. Modern day Costa Rica is known for its pacifism and happiness, reflected by the nation’s slogan ‘Pura Vida’, meaning “pure life”.

The land of Costa Rica, defined by its tropical coastlines, dense rainforests, and volcanic mountain ranges, has been inhabited by indigenous peoples for millennia. While lacking a complex civilization such as the Aztecs or Incas, Spanish explorers observed that the locals wore vast quantities of gold jewelry, giving the land its name. Costa Rica became a Spanish colony along with most of Central and South America, but its reputation ironically became that of a poor backwater province and was neglected by Spain for its sparse population and lack of resources. Because of its slow early development and relative isolation, Costa Rica was not as impacted by the institutionalized inequality and exploitation common in other colonies, laying the groundwork for a more socially progressive society. Costa Rica separated from the Spanish Empire in 1821 as a result of the Mexican War of Independence and was faced with the choice of joining the newly formed Mexican Empire or becoming its own republic. Disagreement on this choice led to the Battle of Ochomogo, where republican forces prevailed over the imperial faction and established Costa Rican independence as part of a federation of Central American states.

Throughout the 19^th century, Costa Rica pursued economic growth and modernization driven by its coffee industry, connecting isolated parts of the country by railroad and giving rise to a strong middle class. Foreign-owned fruit plantations began to proliferate in Costa Rica in the late 19^th century and would become known for their exploitative labour practices. Resistance to the exploitation caused by the United Fruit Company culminated in the 1934 Great Banana Strike, which ultimately resulted in the creation of Costa Rican trade unions and the beginning of a progressive tradition of legal and political reform. Costa Rica experienced a turbulent period in 1948 when a disputed election sparked the Costa Rican Civil War. Despite only lasting 44 days, it was the bloodiest conflict in Costa Rican history and had a profound effect on national politics. In the aftermath of the war, Costa Rica completely abolished its military and embraced a policy of pacifism. Costa Rica has since become the most peaceful and stable democracy in the region, known for its strong public education and healthcare systems. Today, Costa Rica welcomes millions of tourists a year from all over the world to enjoy the country’s natural beauty and easygoing lifestyle.

GENDER EQUITY

“In Costa Rica, there is hard evidence to support the “feminization of poverty” in which more women and women-led households are experiencing higher rates of poverty. Between 2010 and 2016, gender inequality increased mainly through the increasing rates of income inequality”. Low-income women also experience healthcare inaccessibility which contributes to lower education levels, increased health risks, and delayed or restricted access to the workforce leading to economic repercussions. Only 50% of women participate in the workforce and women also earn about 12% less than their male counterparts. The social norms that have engrained the gender divide also permeate the workforce as men are more likely to work in science and engineering and women socially acceptable roles that are compensated at a lower rate and have lower social standing. More recently in April 2022 the Costa Rican government approved a reparation bill for survivors of femicide (intentional killing of women or girls because they are female). “Since 2007, 400 women have died of femicide with 51 cases still pending investigation”.  

The 2023 Women’s World Cup will mark the second time that Costa Rica has qualified. Costa Rica’s qualification also marked the success of the players’ union which “successfully negotiated a collective agreement on rights and duties for the women’s national team similar to the one already achieved in 2014 for the men’s national side”. The agreement defined “bonuses, allowances, travel, and other basic needs for the players.

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Zambia formerly Northern Rhodesia, was a member of the Central Africa Federation which combined Northern and Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Zambia gained interest from Europeans due to its large copper deposits, however in 1956 the copper boom came to an end and Northern Rhodesians became aware of how much “the federal tax system channeled copper profits into Southern Rhodesia”. During this time Africans lost their jobs and were left with the sad realization that the “partnerships” of the Central African Federation had done little to help farming or education.  

Following the realization that Zambia was not benefitting from Zambians and others were, Zambia sought to become an independent state. The groundwork for independence began in 1958 with the formation of the United National Independence Party (UNIP). In October 1964 the country became the independent Republic of Zambia within the Commonwealth.  

Following independence the economy of Zambia fared well as the price of copper rose as a result of the Vietnam War. During this time there was a significant investment in social services increasing the number of Africans in secondary schools and university graduates.  However, another economic crisis and lack of economic diversification was detrimental to Zambia resulting in high unemployment, cuts to social services, which led to food riots. In spite of its rich natural resource and investments from China the lives of most Zambians have not improved “with about two-thirds still living in poverty”.  

Gender Equity 

In May 2023 two World Bank reports identified that in order to achieve gender equity Zambia requires assistance in implementing and scaling up evidenced-based policies on gender equity. There are notable differences in access to education, completion of education, and women’s participating in decision making which compound and leave women experiencing high levels of poverty.  The World Bank reports identified that  “to successfully contribute to Zambia’s development, policies that prioritize and promote gender equality such as participation of women in decision-making positions in government and improving gender parity in education will yield positive results”.  

This upcoming Women’s World Cup will be Zambia’s debut appearance, however, Zambia’s breakthrough performance is not without controversy. Zambia’s national team coach Bruce Mwape has been investigated over allegations of sexual misconduct, these allegations were reported to FIFA in September 2022. A source revealed that “it’s normal that the coach sleep with the players in our team”. When reached for comment by The Guardian FIFA stated “the independent ethics committee does not comment on whether or not investigations are under way into alleged cases”. At present Mwape will be attending and coaching the Zambians national team at the Women’s World Cup.  

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Japan is a high-functioning democracy. After generations of Japanese monarchs that had divine authority; today, the Japanese monarch is ceremonial. The Diet is Japan’s national legislature and main governing body. The Diet is bicameral with both a lower and an upper house. The current governing party is the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP); the LDP is typically attributed to conservatism and neoliberal economic policy.

The main religions in Japan are Shintō and Buddhism. The most popular sport in Japan is baseball, with Sumo wrestling in second, and soccer (football) in third.

Japan has the 11th largest population, and the third highest GDP. The Japan Exchange Group is the fourth largest stock exchange in the world in terms of market capitalization. The story of Japan’s economic success starts with the reforms and advancements made in Meiji Restoration (1866); the Meiji Restoration catalyzed Japan’s turn with the Industrial Revolution and propelled its national power to a status akin to those in the Concert of Europe. The Empire of Japan began after the Meiji Restoration and until defeat in World War II. After a brutal record of conquest in World War II, post-War, Japan reconstructed remarkably with corporations like Sony, Toyota, and Canon leading the way. U.S. financial and human resources were essential to this post-War reconstruction.

While Japan remains a very prosperous country, it currently faces a demographic challenge regarding its ageing population and shrinking workforce. 28% of the Japanese population is 65 and above, which is the highest in the world.

Historically and contemporarily, Japan’s main geopolitical competitor is China. Both ancient civilizations, Japan and China have gone through ebbs and flows in their relationship with different political entities at the helm. Of note in the modern era, The First Sino-Japanese War took place between 1894-1895 over the Korean Peninsula (this occurred during the Qing Dynasty and the Meiji Emperor, respectively). Fierce adversaries in World War II, Japan and China began fighting in 1937 which is two years before war broke out on the European Continent. Today, Japan (a parliamentary democracy) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) (an authoritarian one-party state) remain competitors. China and Japan are territorial disputants over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which can fuel nationalist sentiments that strongly exist in both countries.

Japan’s relations with the Republic of Korea also deserve highlighting. After an atrocious colonial and imperial record in Korea, such as the institutional employment of “comfort women”, Japan has still yet to truly make amends (Imperial Japanese war crimes committed in China are also a factor in the Japan-China relationship). Apart from these embedded historical grievances, the Republic of Korea and Japan both have aligning interests: they both believe in democratic values, are suspicious of the PRC, and have like-minded visions for the liberal rules-based international order. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol have maintained cool relations with one another, although there are some signs of hope for a détente.

The principal security partner of Japan is the United States. They are formal allies through the 1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. Through the uncertainty of the Cold War, the Japanese home islands were defended by U.S. security guarantees, as the Japanese constitution ruled out robust military buildups. Over roughly the past decade, Japan has begun a process of reestablishing stronger military capabilities—a controversial political issue within Japan.

Finally, in the weeks ahead, one must remember that Japan is mourning longtime Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was tragically assassinated on 8 July, 2022.

Gender Equity

In the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Gender Gap Index, Japan ranked 125^th of 146 countries, “the country’s worst recorded result and the lowest in the East Asia and Pacific region”. This is a drop from the previous year in which Japan was ranked at 116, contributing to Japan’s poor ranking is “women’s participation in politics and the economy continues to lag severely. The country also remained in last place among the Group of Seven industrialized countries”. While Japan lags in politics and economic contribution it has almost achieved full parity in education and health the same report shows. “The nation is ranked 138^th in political empowerment, below Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which ranked 131^st and 137^th, respectively”. In response to the latest report Momoko Nojo, from No Youth No Japan noted that gender roles are still strongly engrained, with the lack of diversity in government this has led to unfocused efforts to address the country’s low birthrate, as women are forced to choose between careers or family. “In Japanese families with a child or children younger than 6, women spend about seven and half hours a day on chores and child care, while men spend less than an hour and a half on the same type of work”.  

For fans of Japan’s women’s national football team they should be relieved that a broadcast deal was agreed to, one week before the Women’s World Cup begins, avoiding a TV blackout. Japan who is a previous World Cup winner (2011) risked not having their games broadcast back home as negotiations between FIFA and Japan’s national broadcaster (NHK) reached a stalemate.  This is the first time that the broadcast right for the Women’s World Cup are being sold independently from the Men’s World Cup. “Japan was the last major holdout after FIFA last  month announced that it had struck a deal with the European Broadcasting Union to televise games, avoiding a controversial blackout in the “Big Five” European nations. 

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