Japan’s push for women empowerment just got ironical

Japan has always been a very technically-progressive country. However, their tendency for human understanding just got an ironical blow as they have put together an all-male panel to instigate more women to join workplace. This happened in the Kanagawa area of Japan, situated in the South of Tokyo. The local government of Kanagawa decided on a list of people to be the brand ambassadors for female empowerment by declaring a WOMAN ACT initiative. All the chosen 10 people in the list were coincidentally men from some of the high-profile businesses from Japan.

The list of men to promote women included Uotani Masahiko, CEO of Shiseido, Tatsumaru Terazawa, the head of the Bank of Yokohama, and the President of Fujitsu, Tanaka Tatsuya, together with the Kanagawa prefectural governor, Kuroiwa Yuji etc. All these businessmen are supposed to be “cheerleading” for women to enter the workforce and contribute in the economy if the country. While a better way could have been getting women pioneers to promote gender equality, but that clearly did not seem to occur to the Kanagawa local government.

Japan’s female empowerment strategies are showing one after another loophole every time they come up with something new. Right before this Kanagawa women empowerment scenario, the PM of Japan Shinzo Abe rode on an over-ambitious project called the National Act Plan. Through this plan he announced that 30% women will be motivated to join the workforce by 2020. But that was cut short to a mere 7% by 2021 soon after the announcement had already been made.

Literally, Japan could not have been any more subtle in showing how much more male-dominated they are. “Corporate Japan does not yet believe in the importance of diversity, says Keiko Tashiro, who chairs Daiwa Capital Markets America and is a board member of Daiwa Securities to the Financial Times. However with its downward progressing population and the youth demographic almost frail, its push towards gender equality is on a rise. “I believe that the hard work of the women in the cabinet will bring on social change," Abe said when he announced the percentage of women to be increased by 2020, stated Wall Street Journal.

While the thought of Abe seems genuine, the concern is raised after a much longer time than should have. Right when Japan sees an economic pressure right in front of it while no other way out but this.

Original story- Quartz

Picture Credit- Matome Naver