Global summit in Tokyo discusses women's empowerment

that's great... now get me some tea (sarcasm, but in my company the women get men tea still, and only women wear uniforms)

The forum presented this year's Global Women's Leadership Award to Abe, who has made female empowerment a major pillar of his economic growth strategy as Japan faces a shrinking workforce and aging society.

Abe talks a good game, but the reality is something different.

Oh and his "growth strategy" a.k.a. "Abenomics" has been a big failure as well, me thinks he should return the "award".

The forum presented this year's Global Women's Leadership Award to Abe

What better way to start your day than with a hearty laugh.

Western countries want to empower women becuse they believe in freedom and equality, The Japanese government wants to empower woman because they want woman to serve the state by paying taxes to the crooks in Tokyo.

Japans still stuck in the sixties regarding this. Best thing that can happen is for a massive grassroots campaign to begin spurred on by influential women. But unfortunately cats have a better chance at learning piano.

Abe is not responsible for the old farts running the HR departments of Japan Inc. He's not responsible for the ongoing discrimination women face nor for the sizeable chunk of educated women who opt to stay home. Is Abenomics a failure, is he right-winger hellbent on militarism, yes, but I think he gets it on this issue. Of course, whether its out of a genuinely egalitarian impulse or b/c having Japanese women work more means they can avoid immigration and thus maintain the purported homogeneity of the nation, who knows.

This is no joke, in my company they call the women "onnna no ko" even if they are 40+ years old.

Not one woman manager out of about 150.

These forums won't change much, what you need to do is get women in positions of power to break this mentality. I do not see it happening soon

Well I am no fan of Abe, but he has done more at least in lip service and in recognizing Japan's folly in not utilizing its better half in society.

How women here accept being paid a pittance and having to be subservient to men boggles the mind.

Dango, at my former company (a Japanese メーカー w/about 500 domestic employees) I taught English to 117 managers--not a single woman among them. One brilliant female colleague in the HR dept, nearly fluent in English, helped out in the sales dept. regularly and simply wanted to be considered for a sales position. Denied, she could only serve in a support role in the dept, for naturally a fraction of the pay. She left shortly thereafter. Another Korean born but US educated Korean female, with a PhD from a top US university, was treated like a waitress. She left after 2 months.

Unfortunately Japan treats women in the workplace & work/life balance, like it does its history. With insincere lip service & then hopes everyone will move on & forget about it!!

Is Abe some kind of feminist? I know Japan's culture remains very different from the European West, but the Prime Minister is a broken record about changing the role of women in Japanese society. I can think of no one in Japan today that talks about women more than Abe.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 27-year-old Global Summit of Women, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hailed the forum's long-lasting efforts to promote women's empowerment and gender equality and said his administration is committed to creating a "society where women shine."

You've just entered the Twilight Zone

Until Japan figures out their work/life balance situation, the vast majority of Japanese men will prefer their wives stay at home and be 'shufu' with a part time job at best.

Any woman I know that's made it up in the ranks in Japanese business either leave their kids with grandparents, the one in a thousand stay at home dad, or they don't have kids.

When will J. Inc. let working parents go home to spend time with their children??

The forum presented this year's Global Women's Leadership Award to Abe, who has made female empowerment a major pillar of his economic growth strategy as Japan faces a shrinking workforce and aging society.

I rest my case. 

What better way to start your day than with a hearty laugh.

Or a face to palm slap..

"In the face of falling population, Japan needs the power of women,"

So if the population were not falling, Japan wouldn't need the power of women? Thanks a lot, Shinzo. After centuries of keeping women down, Abe now comes begging them to help revive an economy that the LDP ruined.

Abe and his "human resources" thing again. It's not about respecting women's real lives, identities and ambitions, its about getting women to contribute to economic growth and, more importantly, tax revenue.

Womans lib in the states was just a way of getting the other half of the population to work so they could be taxed and so that children would be raised more by the state than the parents. This is the real reason why it is so appealing to Abe and co, more tax revenue and an even more indoctrinated youth.

Hope the Saudi guys, women's delegation attended.

Bet your life they won't be fetching their own tea

How women here accept being paid a pittance and having to be subservient to men boggles the mind.

Half a bread is better than none.

Being paid a pittance is not restricted only to women.

Abe has no right, and no place, standing front and center among those brave and accomplished woman on stage for a summit about female empowerment. Abe is a leader in LIP-SERVICE laws and rights for women, but in practice he is one of the worst PMs to date. And before anyone points out Koike don't forget he and others were against her and she won on a different ticket -- he most certainly canNOT take credit for her being a woman in power, nor can he cite Renho with a serious face.

Time for the talking to stop and the acting to start. Until then, get off the stage, Abe. This is not about you.

Problem is there are still too many men, especially in Japan, who do not want their wife or partner to be the main - or co- breadwinner in their family (with or without kids). The many men who think 'their' woman should stay at home are imo partially responsible as well as slightly hypocritical here. They can't blame govt, society, companies etc for the situation we are in when they themselves are not ready to let (or ask) their partner get a job.

J men will kick themselves when they realise that having a gf or wife who works full time or near FT is the best thing that can happen to a man ;)

I like empowered women, in every field, including gembas. Not just in Air conditioned rooms in comfortable desks.

Why is Abe there? "I am Abe, I approve of this."

I don't think you can entirely blame men for this. It's a minority but there is a significant number of women who are reasonably happy with the way things are and don't want to fight. If anything, they may feel threatened by ambitious women. I think that's part of the reason there have not been grassroots campaigns to significantly improve the life chances of women in Japan. A number of women either don't want to work or don't want to have to put up with all the things working women do. I would say the biggest winner in Japanese society at present is the unambitious woman who successfully lands herself a breadwinner husband. The biggest loser is the ambitious woman, especially one who wants a family. The second biggest loser is the capable man who in many companies will have to play the corporate game and kowtow to less capable seniors. Untalented men who still get promoted thanks to seniority are the other big winners.

fwiw, I think its great for women (parents) to stop working and raise young children as shufu. In fact I think it is better for everyone if parents raise their own babies and toddlers and don't use super-subsidized childcare to work in dead-end jobs as happens in inaka, if not the rest of Japan. However, there must be something seriously wrong with society if kids of school age or older need a housewife mother for support. A childless man should not require his wife to not work either. Housework isn't that big a deal. Lots of working couples manage to do it.

Just a level playing field, genuine recognition that promotion and opportunities are rewarded through hard work, experience, fairly and equally.

Does this really need a Global summit in Tokyo discusses women's empowerment to make this happen? It all sounds irritatingly condescending. "Beyond Womenomics: Accelerating Access," what does this mean beyond a predictability banal platitude with all the overtones of a film sequel.   

The forum presented this year's Global Women's Leadership Award to Abe, who has made female empowerment a major pillar of his economic growth strategy as Japan faces a shrinking workforce and aging society........

In 2015, 56% of all female employees were in non-regular employment, so did 2016 herald an improvement?

@ JaneM2

Please read my post again, i did not use the word indoctrinate regarding the U.S

Complete utter Rubbish...

Look at the way Japan treats their Royal Princess when she marries outside of the Royal Family (Well what chance has she got!!!! Incest???). Japan discriminates against women, in the sense that here, the "Woman's place is in the Home Looking after Kids".