Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto, center, speaks to media after a video conference with the IOC executive board in Tokyo on Wednesday. At left is Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto and at right is Tokyo 2020 Sports Director Mikako Kotani. Photo: Takashi Aoyama/Pool via AP
tokyo 2020 olympics

Tokyo 2020 chief says gender equality efforts as important as virus containment

42 Comments
By Ju-min Park

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I think they should eliminate separate events for men and women. They should compete with equality.

13 ( +21 / -8 )

LOL! The two things that I would NOT trust my government with. The LDP has a pretty bad track record with both Covid and Gender Equality.

But I suppose mic, tv, words, + news = value(?)

13 ( +16 / -3 )

defeat covid first, and then worry about "gender equality."

26 ( +29 / -3 )

Newly designated Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa opposed husband and wife have different family names and she was one of LDP diet members who signed a paper which was distributed to LDP local assembly members advising not to support the bill if the local assemblies were adopting it.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

There goes Japan jumping on the latest fad again.

18 ( +22 / -4 )

LOL! The two things that I would NOT trust my government with. The LDP has a pretty bad track record with both Covid and Gender Equality.

amen!!!

13 ( +14 / -1 )

defeat covid first, and then worry about "gender equality."

agree!

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Hashimoto said the organizing committee had set up a gender equality promotion team and reiterated a goal to boost the proportion of women on its board to 40%.

Yet more waste!

The endless Olympic gravy train is at full speed...

20 ( +20 / -0 )

It’s the year 2021 yet we are still fighting for gender equality.....

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Hashimoto said the organizing committee had set up a gender equality promotion team and reiterated a goal to boost the proportion of women on its board to 40%.

60% men does not "equal" 40% women.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Why with Japanese must always be so extreme?

Yes gender equality is a top priority but defeat a virus that is killing millions and millions of humans is the number one priority at the moment.

Oh but I can guess why such words have been spoken,because they need to clean their image and show to the world how good they are to reach gender equality just on time for their precious Olympics that no one cares around the world at this stage.

17 ( +18 / -1 )

Never mind the gender equality problem, the J govt has announced that athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics will not need to be vaccinated against Covid: "We are putting together a number of comprehensive measures to realize a safe and secure event without needing vaccinations to be a prerequisite," Tamayo Marukawa, Olympics minister.

Japan's vaccination program is hobbled by delays, which makes it unlikely that Japanese athletes can receive their jabs in time for the Olympics. This creates the unpleasant scenario where foreign competitors may be vaccinated while Japanese athletes are not.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Corona Virus is life or death. Gender equailty is not. There is someting batty about this article. I like Japan but sometimes its weird.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

LeoToday  09:42 am JST

Corona Virus is life or death. Gender equailty is not. There is someting batty about this article. I like Japan but sometimes its weird.

Yea it's batty. But it's not all of Japan saying it. It's one woman head Olympics organizer saying it. So she's the one that's weird.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

It sounds like they are using a new-found interest in gender equality to deflect attention away from Covid-19 related concerns threatening the Games in the summer.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I think they should eliminate separate events for men and women. They should compete with equality.

That already happens in 'murica, where men who identify themselves as "women" are legally allowed to compete in athletic events against real women.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Gender equality efforts are a matter of importance decades prior to 83-year-old Yoshiro Mori, impromptu gaff and subsequent resignation.

Why Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto sees fit to state the level of importance gender equality with measures to protect citizens, Tokyo 2020/21/22/23 fans and competitors against a pandemic in a city with a population density of 6,158 persons per square kilometre is extraordinary.

The question I think is of most importance to, at least in front of the minds of an increasing number of Japan people, is how the level of costs seem to be hidden behind a smoke screen of gender equality.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Just get rid of "woman's" sports and put all athletes head-to-head.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Tokyo 2020 chief says gender equality efforts as important as virus containment

Says the leader of an organization with separate competitions based on gender. There is no logic these days given that we are supposed to believe that gender isn’t even a binary proposition anymore. If she finds that women are dying of covid infection at a lower rate than men will she insist on parity? Gender equality is important you know!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Funny, can't compare the 2 NOT EVEN CLOSE.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Hashimoto said the organizing committee had set up a gender equality promotion team and reiterated a goal to boost the proportion of women on its board to 40%.

"Even with limited time until the Games, we will work hard so people can look back and say this is a big turning point for Japan," Hashimoto told reporters in reference to the new equality team.

Mori san would never have wasted time and money on this.

The proportion of men and women on any board should be organic, they should be chosen according to their ability and qualifications not gender or anything else. If you are the best person for the job it doesn't matter if you are black, white, pink or purple; male, female, gay, straight or something in between.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

as important as

Are none of you capable of doing more than one thing at the same time?

Well they do say men are rubbish at multi-tasking...

It is in fact essential that a government be able to deal with many very important matters at once.

Also, equity is the key here.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Tokyo 2020 chief says gender equality efforts as important as virus containment

So... not that important ?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

gender equality efforts as important as virus containment

If you mess up with one, people's feelings might get hurt.

If you mess up with the other, people might well die or suffer severe lifelong health problems.

Of course one is as important as the other.

...said no one with any sense, ever.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

The proportion of men and women on any board should be organic, they should be chosen according to their ability and qualifications not gender or anything else

The truth is, these types of jobs don't really require skills and should be proportionally spread across to match the society needs.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Political "correctness" once again screwing up priorities.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Indeed. And not just on the Board and organizing bodies. On the track and field and pool too. Time to expand the current trend in the US allowing self identified women to compete in female sports at the top level also....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Tokyo 2020 chief says gender equality efforts as important as virus containment

No, it really isn't.

But since you brought up equality...

Will men as "women" be allowed to compete against women?

Because that is the biggest threat to women in sports.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The main perpetrator of gender inequality lies in deep-rooted male chauvinism that continues to prevail in many countries.

Do away with ominous chauvinism..

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Sorry, but covid is more important. Don't drop the ball.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

So ka-na?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics will give promoting gender equality as high a priority as efforts to ensure a coronavirus-free Games

What does that actually mean in practice?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

OssanAmericaToday 09:55 am JST

LeoToday  09:42 am JST

Corona Virus is life or death. Gender equailty is not. There is someting batty about this article. I like Japan but sometimes its weird.

Yea it's batty. But it's not all of Japan saying it. It's one woman head Olympics organizer saying it. So she's the one that's weird.

Totally agree.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Organic. A post on the site declares: the number of men an women on the board should be determined by an organic process and such will evolve without any social activism or social movement, let alone legislation. That is as quaint as Hashimoto, after the dismissal of a misogynist & bigot aka Mori, declaring a need for a non-existent egalitarianism, which is remedied by including 40% women on the board (as has been pointed out equal would be 50%). This will mark the start of the social evolution of a culture mired in a deeply ingrained paternalism with a patriarchal authoritarian root. That is, at best, magical thinking. Never mind, that Hashimoto is not independent of the LDP, which is basely conservative and right-wing. A better choice would have been Homare Sawa, who indeed has worked for parity among men and women.

That Japan has mis-managed the rollout of the vaccine does not bode well for the potential Olympics. A very large majority of the population oppose the games if the citizenry has not been vaccinated prior to the event. Which is incredibly sensible, but apparently those in charge ignore such.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Tokyo 2020 chief says gender equality efforts as important as virus containment

Get the right person for the job. In all cases. Regardless of that person's gender, male or female.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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