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© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Sexist views dent Japan push for women's rights
By ELAINE KURTENBACH and MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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hereforever
He meant, "He really hoped she could marry soon."? Almost a week of hiding and thinking and that's the best he can do? I guess politicians are loosing their ability to come up with new "they misunderstood me" excuses.
semperfi
There are males in the Government Assembly who re not married, and that same criteria and pejorative comments are NOT applied to them . . . . . .The way to ENSURE gender equity ( in terms of pay,hiring, discrimination, returning to job after maternity leave etc) is to legislate it , as other G7 countries have done . . . .. .If Japan fails in this, it will negatively impact J' economic progress.
sillygirl
Pathetic excuse for a man and even more so for someone in government.
kimuzukashiiiii
What I would like to see is some kind of meeting in the middle...
You have kids and want to have a career? Great. We will support you in every way possible for helping keep this country afloat. More money, better childcare provisions, tax breaks. You dont want to have kids or get married? Thats your choice.
sfjp330
emperfiJun. 25, 2014 - 07:07AM JST There are males in the Government Assembly who re not married, and that same criteria and pejorative comments are NOT applied to them .
Who is going to tell that to a men? Another men? Men hold 97 percent of senior government roles, and it seems unlikely that any major changes to the working environment will emerge in the near future. Problem is that women do not have significant political representation at any level of governance. That has to change.
toshiko
Last year when Abe appointer Ms. Makiko Yamada as one of his 7 Aides, the media made headlines " First Female Aide to PM. Remember?
EthanWilber
“If you just look at the Tokyo metropolitan assembly, the environment is not one that would accommodate women’s advancement,” she said. “The reality is just not up to that level yet. Under the current circumstances, I doubt Abe’s ‘womenomics’ can be achieved.”
Well said by Shiomura. In reality, Abe's womenomics as well as his well tossed abenomics are mostly gimmicks and soundbites with little real substances.
For people who are not aware" sexism is deep rooted in Japanese mindset.It may l take years if not dacades to even the playing field for women.
sfjp330
I think there’s a little bit of a double standard there. Where we now encourage Japanese men to be engaged in their children's lives, as if they're doing something special. Whereas women, when they do it, oftentimes people say, you see, she's not fully committed to the job.
M3M3M3
Let's be careful not to condemn all Japanese political parties when we criticize the LDP for their attitude towards women.
The DPJ did have alot of women on the ballot in 2009 (26), the 'Ozawa Girls' as the media dubbed them, who were key to the DPJ's success. They also had 40 lower house members that were women which was a historical record. I hope they can do a bit better than they did in 2012 if women come out to vote as a result of this scandal.
Graham DeShazo
Nothing says "coward" like the site of a middle-aged man bullying a younger woman about her choices in life, then lying about it.
I wish that she had humiliated him publicly by refusing his apology and calling him out.
And the unnamed co-conspirators should take note, when the PM has to carry your water because your too afraid to step up and admit that you are a fool, he's probably going to look for payback down the road.
Frungy
...
Just goes to show everything wrong with democracy, i.e. that our politicians are idiots who cannot grasp that better education means staying in University until you're at least 21, after which your horizons have been broadened past, "Hey, I think I wanna have some babies now!!".
Abe and his idiot LDP cronies can't seem to grasp that they can't have it both ways. Women who work hard studying medicine, law, economics, etc. for 4 or more years of their life don't want to settle for being a secretary or other low-paid, low-ranked drone who is skipped over for promotion because she dares to get married and have a child. And that's the choice in Japan.
If Abe wants women in the workplace then the answer is simple. Pass legislation that requires equal treatment for everyone in the workplace. If a woman has the same qualifications, performance and experience then she should be promoted, and should be able to sue her company (or at least threaten legal action) if she's passed over for promotion. And just like sick days aren't deducted from men's total working experience so maternity leave shouldn't be deducted from women's total working experience.
... but he's not going to do that, because Abe doesn't actually want women promoted. He's transparently pro-exploitation, and see women as a traditionally cheap source of labor that will boost business profits in Japan without boosting the standard of living of workers and their families. It is a short-sighted strategy that will perhaps produce a short-term benefit while damaging Japan in the long-term.
toshiko
@EthanWilber: well analyzed. if he wants to accomplish womenomics, he should ask his female Aide, Shimomura and other female cause activists, regardless of political affiliation, to create a committee to promote womenomics. Just my thought. US 23rd. But some states, women are more powerful in politics and often have management positions. there are female CEOs in big profit making corporations, too.
Vincehwr
Not at all apologetic. It's individual's right to marry not the traditional value, dumbass. And well he did not resign himself, he's just gonna pardon himself from the responsibility. As for the guy who pelted the building with eggs probably will get the harshest penalty otherwise LDP is gonna have a fit.
That's not a good idea meaning it gives the right-wingers the perfect excuse to assault her or verbally abuse her. There was already one guy on this site who was all ready to badmouth her just for demanding the apologies.
hatsoff
Everyone knows public apologies such as the one made by Suzuki to Shiomura are little more than lip service. Behind the scenes there'll be no remorse on his part. I can almost hear the conversations behind closed doors:
"Suzuki-san, thank you for taking one for the team. That woman, eh? Why does she have to make such a fuss? Well done for the apology, Suzuki-san. You're a real team player."
Lip service, that's all. Abe needs to have him fired, and I'd like to hear Abe's wife speak out on this.
CrazyJoe
What do you expect when Japanese women have only two cards to choose from - childbearing without a real career or a career without children.
ribstick
At this rate, Japan is still several generations off from seeing women in higher positions. Affirmative Action is needed to make the process quicker, and punishments need to be swift if there's any form of harassment or discrimination towards women.
Women also need to get with the program, meaning:
Eat more and become bigger - like the Scandinavians When a guy heckles you for not being married - cold cock him Women need to return to work after having a kid Stop carrying around those stuffed animal charms - really, it makes them look childishDennis Bauer
Nice so Shine, and the call for getting populace growth is just window dressing?
They need to instigate a lot of changes to improve these issues, but i guess, so only blabbering about these points look good in the press and get votes?
Bronco123
You are married and act like a scum. No thanks! We'll stay single!
JoeBigs
Spoke with my wife and to some of her friends at a local café on this subject. They all vote and their ages range from early 30's to late 80's. They all had a very similar view on this issue and that really surprised me.
Each one of them were upset with Mr. Suzuki because he made promises to promote women's issues and then he insults them by heckling when she was speaking about women's issues. They consider him now a liar.
They all felt sorry for Ms. Shiomura, but at the same time were upset that she just stood there quietly and didn't stand-up for herself. They found her to be too weak to be a politician.
As for the politicians who haven't come forward they all believe that the media already knows who he/they are.
Lastly, my wife and her friends all believe that these fools were egged (pardon the pun) on to do this by someone. Who, that someone is only the media knows that. But, that someone is their sponsor or their senior.
After a while their discussion changed from politics to food, that's when I made my exit.
illsayit
@Graham I really cant be bothered with this argument or situation, but the use of the word coward here just seems way off track. Im pretty sure if it wasnt stupidity, it took courage to say something out against the policy being put forward. And I agree with crapahat, that it was something that this politician has no experience in. Im pretty sure that she is an example of that women are given opportunity in the workforce. Did you want my definition of coward, did I hear? One example would be a man who acts like he is Romeo, and all for women and would even make himself out as charmer to women who already have a partner, as if he could do better, but when push comes to shove would not take the effort to provide for a family and would expect that the woman have to work too......
wtfjapan
i remember meeting a Japanese lady when I first came to Japan, i asked here what she wanted to do after she graduated from UNi, she said "get married and have children" I was a bit puzzled at first as you dont need a degree for that. many years later I now understand that there isnt much in the way of job advancement for skilled women in Japan. so the next best thing is to become a housewife of a educated well paid salaryman, although a degree isnt probably needed
LFRAgain
Good point, but then again, the media simply feeds the beast: *"Ozawa GIRLS?"*
They weren't girls. They were adult women seeking the responsibility and respect of key legislative positions in the government. But the media had to slap a cutesy label on these women, as if they were gravure models from one of the weekly men's mags. There is no limit to how pervasive the sexism in this country persists.
illsayit
and whats wrong with what she stated she wanted to do? As if you could just mentally be aware that she was lying and that what she stated as what she wanted to do, was not what she wanted to do. Also you made the assumption that amongst the jobs available, that she wasnt able to get one of them. Bit conceited there I would say. Bit judgemental. Or perhaps just re-writing her truth to suit your agenda.
cleo
My Mum, who was born dirt poor and left school at 14 as soon as compulsory education was finished, was a fantastic Mum and living proof that you don't need a degree to be a good Mum. At the same time she was adamant that all her kids should have a university education; they were all going to do better than she did (helping out the family finances with low-paid, unskilled jobs). Family (with the exception of my Dad, who was right behind her) and friends, couldn't understand why she would want me to get a degree; my brothers, fine, yes, of course, who doesn't want their sons to do well, but a girl? She can be earning at sixteen, they said. In any case she'll only go off and get married, then what good will her education be? In her words, 'Educate a boy and you educate a breadwinner; educate a girl and you educate a family'. I know that in these enlightened times it's not fashionable to want to be a full-time mother, but I find it very unenlightened to assume that 'you don't need a degree for that' or that women only want to be mothers because 'there isnt much in the way of job advancement' and they're opting for second-best. Plus women who get married and have babies don't necessarily stay home the whole time; many go back to work once the youngest is in school, or if, heaven forbid, anything should happen to the 'educated well paid salaryman' she might well find herself in the role of main breadwinner. Whatever the scenario, a woman with a degree under her belt is going to find things easier.
toshiko
From my viewpoint, she is too polite. But it seems she is putting these things behind and concentrating on speaking up women related issues. However, I wish Japanese ladies to learn how to directly insult back these rude men. Usually, they are chickens and when you approach, they get scared of you.
nath
And be more appealing to men (or women, if that be the case).
Kazuaki Shimazaki
Do remember that Japan still has something about deference to authority, and no doubt the man here has the higher social standing even before calculation of the gender difference. It would not take many counter-insults before the line gets crossed in the eyes of many Japanese, the "OK, maybe he said the wrong thing, but he's still a senior, still deserves some respect" - that kind of crap. So maybe Ayaka just "read the air" in Japan.
Disillusioned
And, you wonder why so many Japanese women stay single all their lives.
ANewAsia
@LFRAgain Now you are just being excessively sensitive as always. OzawaGirls came about KoizumiChildren. Those "children" were of course grown men in their thirties and forties. In a gerontocracy, you are a child till you are fifty, then you are a young man.
A good number of JT posters must have had some bad experiences in Japan, and extrapolated that all Japanese must be the same. It is apparent here that some have started to imagine behind-the-scenes discussions about how to disparage women, which obviously they did not hear. Imagined victimisation much?
FightingViking
@cleo
Your post reminds me of my own parents wise words : "Don't think that just because you're a girl and will probably get married one day that you don't need to have a career..." My mother also used the exact same reasoning "one never knows... an "accident" and you could end up as the family breadwinner..." She also also got me by my "pride" : Do you really want to have to ask "may I have some money for a pair of stockings" do you ? Anyway, divorce also happens and it's extremely important to be able to cope (especially with two small children) under such circumstances...
smithinjapan
Anewasia: "Imagined victimisation much?"
Nothing imagined at all with the man confessing to what he said.
Kazuaki Shimazaki
Now, now, now. We have to be fair to the guy. He might actually be a pretty good husband, albeit in the old fashioned mould. There had been millions of decent husbands before the rise of modern values.
toshiko
Not all Japanese men are cruel to females and not all females are polite either. Back to topic, this guy was not only one who jeered but he courageously came out and apologized. He even went to the foreign newspaper conference. then a nut threw eggs on his office gate. She may be new in Japanese political field but she sure is on limelight. Maybe Abe and his cohort take a lesson from her How to handle Medias.
ThonTaddeo
Perhaps because it was in all capitals, I read the title as romanized Japanese for a moment. Thought that old buffoon really had it in for women until I realized the whole thing was English.
avigator
Some countries still have people who live in the stone age. Because this incident made it to the headlines, it does not mean everybody, but some people. And do you want to know something else, I highly believe that the baby talk used by women is just another way of male control to satisfy the men's ego. Why would women feel accomplished talking like babies?
kaimycahl
@Frungy
Just goes to show everything wrong with democracy, i.e. that our politicians are idiots who cannot grasp that better education means staying in University until you're at least 21, after which your horizons have been broadened past, "Hey, I think I wanna have some babies now!!".
Abe and his idiot LDP cronies can't seem to grasp that they can't have it both ways. Women who work hard studying medicine, law, economics, etc. for 4 or more years of their life don't want to settle for being a secretary or other low-paid, low-ranked drone who is skipped over for promotion because she dares to get married and have a child. And that's the choice in Japan.
If Abe wants women in the workplace then the answer is simple. Pass legislation that requires equal treatment for everyone in the workplace. If a woman has the same qualifications, performance and experience then she should be promoted, and should be able to sue her company (or at least threaten legal action) if she's passed over for promotion. And just like sick days aren't deducted from men's total working experience so maternity leave shouldn't be deducted from women's total working experience.
... but he's not going to do that, because Abe doesn't actually want women promoted. He's transparently pro-exploitation, and see women as a traditionally cheap source of labor that will boost business profits in Japan without boosting the standard of living of workers and their families. It is a short-sighted strategy that will perhaps produce a short-term benefit while damaging Japan in the long-term.
Great point I agree 100% there are a lot of things that need to be changed in Japan and the only way its going to change is the the old cronies third world feudal samurai thinking!! This is why they see most Japanese marrying foreign men and bolting Japan. The women spend 4 years in college then go back home and start a new life WTF!! Also the women now that they have the issue out their they should jump on the band wagon and come out in the thousands and back Ayaka and get behind the womens movement in Japan or else nothing is going to change except the smile which is a frown turned up side down!! The bow is nothing but and L shape meaning loser!!!!
Fadamor
Again, Suzuki is not a member of the National Government. He's a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. Why would Abe be involved at all in this guy's employment? Where are the calls for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly to censure this guy? The chairman of the assembly sat behind Shiomura during her speech and did absolutely NOTHING to stifle the heckling. Where's HIS apology?
EthanWilber
Serious credits should be given to Ms. Ayaka Shiomura. Why? because of her courage and morality, she singlehandedly put Japanese prevailing and predominant sexism on trial. As a direct result, laws in Japn may be passed to stop sexists’ wrongdoings.
Another point I’d like to bring up as food for thought.
Japanese medias’ bias and prejudice are absolutely evident let alone conceal the truth time to time. Case in point, when sexists heckling done to Ms. Ayaka Shiomura, Japanese media showed little to none of interest to report the incident. On the contrast, when Ms Haruko Obokata ( who apparently falsified her STAP cell research papers.) claimed she made stem cell 'breakthrough', Japanese medias went reporting/feeding frenzy. Coverage given to Obokata was extensive, lavish and glowing for days from major newspapers, new network to local tabloids. No one in media was questioning or checking Obokata’s past records on academic integrity.
Without press functions as objective and truth-telling force, Japan’s democracy will surely suffer.
toshiko
SHINE? Is Abe trying to get Japanese ladies studied in USA or UK universities with their family money to return to work in Japan?
I don't know about now but women who went to USA to study abroad with Japanese Govt scholarships had to sign that she is not going to marry. After they went back, they contributed to Japanese Science fields, etc and never married.
In business world, not only women but men who did not graduate from Tokyo U and National U or Keio and Waseda were not going to have promotion chances well. There are many politicians who gave up civilian jobs to become politicians.
Pukey2
This excuse of a man still doesn't get it. Whether she marries or not is none of his damn business.
toshiko
@Pukey2JUN. 26, 2014 - 12:11AM JST But he persisted in echoing the comment he had made, saying he really hoped she could marry soon, This excuse of a man still doesn't get it. Whether she marries or not is none of his damn business.
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I completely agree with you.
Lowly
The problem is with the women. Seriously. How many of those reps got bawled out by their wives when they went home after making fun of their co-worker in public?
Women need to stand up for themselves as a group, until that happens, women's rights will be a few relatively infrequent public skirmishes like this one, and a lot of private humiliation and groping gaman-ed in private, and very little change. That's my prediction.
But who knows maybe the new kids -boys and girls- will surprise us w/ just being different.
toshiko
@RecklessJUN. 25, 2014 - 12:50PM JST toshiko you are right! I lived in West Philly for several years and the local African American women could easily handle and tell off them,
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I believe she graduated from a community college in Philly. I am pretty sure she noticed all sort of women of free speech there. I live in a city near Vegas. In my city, women boss city politics and budgets. There could be any reason women don't marry. So, it is very rude for Suzuki and his LDP cohorts to yell at her about marriage.
Jonathan Prin
Problem is the culture itself: women love to bow their head in front of men and accept orders from men. I never asked for that and even show that I could be sharing efforts. It did not change my female colleagues at all. Anyway here, you are not allowed freedom of speech if you are not boss or senior. As a Frenchman, this is against Enlightment. Just cultural, both genders concerned. BY the way, problem is not women at work, it is the demography collapse, where life quality is getting ruined by burden of old people by the younger ones... Suzuki will survive but at her age needs to get tougher and tell the truth, like many of readers wrote before me.
toshiko
Her slogans, are very good to prepare for Tokyo Olympics and increasing tourism.
Refoorm of Tokyo Govt, Tokyo Assembly
Reexamine area sovereignty, prefecture system'Support Growth of children
Support Working Females
Support Aged People''
Aimed zero animal killing punishment'
Disaster Prevention Capital City Tokyo
Tourist Mecca Tokyo
toshiko
@Education60: That animal slogan, her Japanese slogan is " Doubutsu satsaugai shobun zero o mezasu.
I did not get her USA education background from her web page.
Michael Grant
I was kind of disappointed with Shiomura-san's lack of response at the time - she should have given him what for (to use an old expression). Pathetic, weak men like the buffoons in the LDP need to be put in their place, instead she was almost silent...of course no one at the time bothered to stand up for her either...
toshiko
What is she? I got from Linkln because some people created some kind of web pages to degrade her...
Ayaka Shimomura's Overview
Current FMCG Researcher at Asian Consumer Intelligence
Education Community College of Philadelphia
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Ayaka Shimomura's Experience
FMCG Researcher
Asian Consumer Intelligence
Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Think Tanks industry
August 2009 Present (4 years 11 months)
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Ayaka Shimomura's Education
Community College of Philadelphia
Associate's degree, Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
2007 - 2009
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Activities and Societies: Honors Curriculum, Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, Creative Writing Club
Moderator: The woman's name is not Shimomura. Please do not post this again.
Praveen Lama
Poor Ms. Shiomura, her weary, red eyes reveal that she hasn't slept for sometime ... take care!
Frenchy92
As far as I understand the situation in Japan, pushing women at work without any change in the organization of services for childcare and without any change in the mentality of Japanese men for taking their part in child growing at home, will be a disaster for Japan on medium term as birth rate will be falling sharply.
kenjiooi
June 26, 2014
I would not be surprised if she had given voice to her doubt about the target Mr.Abe laid out on the female ratio of the workers promoted to the management position. Japan is an emotional, as opposed to ideological(intellectual), society where the ideal type of personality is one dominated by the emotional side of personality such as shade of meaning, nuances, the opposite of what non-Japanese would do in trying to get at the truth by getting everything debated and out into the open, believing that out of a conflict of opinion emerges a new truth. As legend has it, Japan goes with this quasi-theory that words have a spirit of their own, which would translate into this" agree in principle but disagree in details" mindset, implying a nuanced opposition to the plan itself. Now that Mr, Abe has given voice to the principle of more women participation in the work force, I hope he does not leave the matter at that, expecting the situation will take its natural course. Instead, he will flesh out the plan to make sure that he delivers the goods.
toshiko
@Education60: That animal slogan, her Japanese slogan is " Doubutsu satsaugai shobun zero o mezasu. Doubutsu - Amimal, Satsugai -killing Shobatsu - penalize , Medasu --- Aimed at
I did not get her USA education background from variouss web pages some people made. AyakaShiomura Linkln is source. Community College of Philadelphia.
kaimycahl
Wow she went to a Community College in Philadelphia, if she went to south Philly community college she would have learned easily not to take any crap. Just to get through the neighborhood you have to be tough!!
Fadamor
As is common with city assemblies worldwide, she was probably under a time limit for her presentation. Hence, the prepared script she plowed through with barely enough time to take breaths. She had probably timed the presentation to give the most information in her allotted time and hadn't included time for being interrupted by heckling.
toshiko
@kaimycahlJUN. 27, 2014 - 01:03AM JST Wow she went to a Community College in Philadelphia, if she went to south Philly community college she would have learned easily not to take any crap. Just to get through the neighborhood you have to be tough!!
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It is only a community college in Philadelphia.
Back to topoc, I agree with Fadamor's assessment. She concentrated in issues she wanted to representate.