During the past few months at Kansai Gaidai, I have met a whole variety of Japanese students, many being soon graduating students currently beginning their shuushokukatsudou, or a job search. As I talked with my friends about their different experiences and aspirations, I realized I was painted two different pictures varying by their gender.
Japan has in recent years passed an equal employment opportunity law. And just as the other developing countries, it is still struggling to enforce it – “despite two revisions, the law includes no real punishment for companies that continue to discriminate” (1). The females are oftentimes stuck with odd, almost impossible work hours (2) and dead end jobs as “office ladies,” (3) pleasing the eyes of the male bosses.
Contrast to the western society, the Japanese gender discrimination seems much harsher and much more engraved into the culture. Whereas in the US the “single mother” is slowly gaining in numbers, the “Japanese work customs make it almost impossible for women to have both a family and a career” (1). It is no surprise, then, that so many of my female friends are studying English in hopes to move abroad after finishing their education.
References:
1. Ariishi, T. (2007). Career Women in Japan Find a Blocked Path. The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2009 from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/world/asia/06equal.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=japan%20gender&st=cse
2. Pollack, A. (1997). For Japan's Women, More Jobs And Longer and Odder Hours. Retrieved May 13, 2009 from http://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/08/business/for-japan-s-women-more-jobs-and-longer-and-odder-hours.html?scp=5&sq=japan%20women&st=cse
3. Beech, H. (2005). The Wasted Asset. Time Asia. Retrieved May 13, 2009 from http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501050829/story.html
Figure 1. Picture From http://www.japaninc.com/files/mgz-85_female-entrepreneurship_illustration_400x399.jpg
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