Gov't wants business leaders to hire more women for managerial posts

Wednesday 09th April, 10:40 AM JST

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15 Comments

jerseyboy at 01:10 PM JST - 9th April

Wow, 5% of the central government higher-ups will be women. Now there's real leadership. I would hate to be the parent of daughter here. It is depressing that they have no real opportunity to succeed. And that men of clearly less-than-steller capabilities will. The "glass ceiling" is truly alove and well in good, OLD Japan.
cleo at 01:22 PM JST - 9th April

It is depressing that they have no real opportunity to succeed.

Does success come only in the form of a managerial job? The lady over on today's Pic of the Day thread looks very successful to me. And a whole lot happier than the corporate footsoldiers trekking into the office every day to vie for those managerial jobs.
Altria at 01:24 PM JST - 9th April

The important thing is having a choice to do either...
rjd_jr at 01:28 PM JST - 9th April

Welcome to the club. Where I live only 5% of top executives and senior level types are women. At least the government is being proactive here, not letting businesses get away with weak laws.
kagunlapell at 02:01 PM JST - 9th April

in Japan? are you kidding? no way....
jerseyboy at 02:22 PM JST - 9th April

cleo..I think Altria more than adequately responded. Lack of choice here is what is depressing. Unless, of course, you think women 10 times as bright as the average salaryguy should spend their days having coffee at Starbucks and making fancy bento boxes for the hubby and little ones. rjd_jr...as usual, your post is long on emotion, and short on fact. As I am sure you are aware, Japan ranks like 60th in the world, and dead last among the major economic powers, in economic opportunites for women. And, much of that is EXACTLY because their fair/equal employemnt laws lack teeth. They say things like "companies should make their best efforts", etc. They are the epitome of "weak laws".
Nessie at 02:29 PM JST - 9th April

The real solution is to have the kids taken from their mothers at birth and raised by wolves, Spartan-style.
greenteaonsens at 03:08 PM JST - 9th April

Kids behave better if mom stays home. That's a proven fact now.
cleo at 03:10 PM JST - 9th April

Unless, of course, you think women 10 times as bright as the average salaryguy should spend their days having coffee at Starbucks and making fancy bento boxes for the hubby and little ones.

Women 10 times as bright as the average salaryguy are wasted if they're not spending their days chained to a desk and making money for the company?

I see nothing wrong with those bright women passing their brilliance on to the little ones... in fact I can think of no better use for all that brainpower than seeding young minds. Much more worthwhile than using it to work out, eg., what colour of packaging sells more washing powder.

Taking it for granted of course, that they have the choice. Funny how people rarely fume about those of the masculine persuasion having a choice, yet there's still less than total acceptance for the bloke who stays at home with the kids while wifey goes out to work. Now that's depressing.
mareo2 at 05:21 PM JST - 9th April

Lip services. They say "I want", but they not enforce the anti-discrimination laws.
medievaltimes at 05:58 PM JST - 9th April

This is lip service...change is sloooooooowwww in japan
fireant at 11:29 PM JST - 9th April

First the government has to convince a 50+ guy to hire a 50+ woman to be a manager. How many women of that age is he likely to find in his company that Encouraged the females to Quit after marriage?

Cleo et al- I think women in Japan potentially have more opportunities than men in Japan. Women have options - wife & mother, job, leave Japan, open a shop, etc. Men have, basically, one option: job. As cleo said, the stay-at-home husband is frowned upon in this island nation and not just by the neighbors but by the man's family - and maybe even his wife.
illsayit at 12:55 AM JST - 12th April

What are yous talking about? They will definitely get all the women in parliament onside with moves like this. Go! And besides a few more mature women would be worth it.
Azrael at 02:04 AM JST - 12th April

My mom is a Civil Engineer and she raised 4 daughters, all happy and successful professionals now. My dad and my mom will celebrate their 42th Anniversary in June. The vast majority of my female friends who are now professional women are daughters of either professional women or housekeepers who encouraged them to follow their career aspirations. I don't see what's with those who think women belong either in the kitchen with kids OR at work without kids. Those two are rather sexist views. It's incredible that at this day and age, some people still push the idea that women are enslaved by gender.

Japan, compared to my country, is 4 decades late in terms of women empowerment and freedom of choice between career and housekeeping. FOUR DECADES! Child-rearing is unfairly tagged to housekeeping, and Japanese society pushes guilt trips on professional women who dare marry and attempt to continue in their careers (i.e., Japanese women being coerced to resign once they marry and get pregnant, and so forth). Anyway, not all levels of equality are suitable in every society, from a cynical point of view. Maybe all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others (Orwell, Animal Farm).

I think allowing a larger quota of managerial posts to be granted to the female talent pool is a good step, but of course those women need to be qualified for the posts. If they are chosen solely to fulfill political strategies, failure will follow suit. Japanese women don't need only the chance, but the encouragement and guidance to learn their rights and have those rights enforced. Like any civil movement, education on the topic at hand must be part of the package.
illsayit at 09:02 AM JST - 12th April

I think that whilst filling political strategy, it is also the viewpoint of most in government to have freedom and rights for women equally.

I think the idea that women are still enslaved by gender as you suggest is a little old.

However, I do not know where you get timing about being 4 decades behind? Since when are you counting, and what do you base as civil rights and freedom for women on?

Japan at least, and the women, at least know how they make choices. If you work, your role as a mother becomes less, therefore the result would be less children.....and that's pretty right.

Also, I would suggest that the role of Mother be given a lot more recognition for it's importance in society. Japan has done this already, but may have to put it's money where it's mouth is.