Efforts to improve women's rights are facing a global backlash after decades of progress, Hiroko Hashimoto, head of the U.N. Women Japan National Committee, said in a recent interview.

This concern was highlighted when members of 13 national committees that support the U.N. Women around the world, including in Japan, marched backwards on the 50th anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8, according to Hashimoto.

"We're in a very challenging situation," she said, adding that the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump have a "significant impact in particular."

Because of a major cut in U.S. foreign aid, women's organizations in Ukraine that provide food aid and employment support with the backing of the U.N. are unable to operate, Hashimoto said.

"The suspension of food aid is a matter of life or death," she said.

Many support programs in developing countries have also been backed by financial assistance from the United States, she said.

Referring to challenges in Japan, Hashimoto said that there are still so many women among non-regular employees, which keeps many women in poverty.

The impact is not limited to young women, but continues into old age as they start receiving pension benefits, she said.

"We have to make (changes) in education and in the thinking of society as a whole," Hashimoto said.

"I think the benefits of working full-time include economic ones, job satisfaction and self-fulfillment," she said.

In order to create an environment in which women work full-time and men do more housework and child care, the Japanese government needs to lead efforts to correct long working hours, she said.