Japan's new female 'role models' seek to empower other women
07/03/2024 09:24
By Anton Bridge and Irene Wang
TOKYO, March 7 (Reuters) - Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike
knows how important networking and mentorship are to building a
career, so she's making sure her administration offers women
these opportunities.
Koike is one of the very few women who hold senior
government posts in Japan, where society remains male dominated
and many retain the view that a women's place is in the home.
She has introduced a suite of schemes in recent years aimed
at empowering other women in the workplace by providing the
space to network and develop management know-how that in the
past was often only available to men.
"There's no other country in the world where women's power
is so underutilised," Koike told Reuters in an interview ahead
of International Women's Day, which is celebrated on March 8.
"How to make use of women's untapped energy is important for
Japan and for Tokyo."
Over the past decade, under pressure from the Japanese
government and Tokyo Stock Exchange, many Japanese companies
have succeeded in boosting the number of female executives.
But despite this progress, Japanese women with management
responsibilities are severely under-represented at the vast
majority of firms, female leaders say.
In a bid to increase the number of women managers, the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government has held "career up support" seminars
for women since 2018, with the number of participants jumping
more than fourfold to nearly 1,400 in the four years to 2022.
"Unfortunately, there are not many role models in Japan for
women in management positions or as CEOs making decisions,"
Koike said.
"As is the case with men, having a good mentor is very
effective. And having a network of contacts in different
industries is often helpful for all parties," she added.
Koike is not alone. Etsuko Tsugihara, chair of the
diversity, equality and inclusion committee at Japan's largest
business lobby, Keidanren, is also trying to showcase a
different face of corporate Japan, in a bid to provide better
role models for women.
Last month, Tsugihara, who is also CEO of public relations
firm Sunny Side Up Group 2180.T , led a cohort of female
executives of Keidanren companies on a study mission to the
United States, meeting with government agencies, U.N. bodies,
companies and investors.
Participants included executives from Toyota, Sumitomo
Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mitsui & Co. and ANA.
"Keidanren gatherings have really gone from dark suits and
grey suits to become colourful," she said, recalling that only a
few years ago any business gathering in Japan was almost
entirely made up of men in business suits.
As much as she wants her success to encourage other women,
Tsugihara said women should not follow her example, and that of
many others, and push themselves too hard at work.
Tsugihara recalls working until the day she gave birth, and
then having a work meeting at the hospital two days later.
"Far from admiring my efforts, other women told me they
didn't want to be like me," she said. "My generation has to be
happy, we have to enjoy our work, otherwise other women won't
follow."
(Reporting by Anton Bridge, Irene Wang and Tom Bateman; Editing
by Miral Fahmy)
((Anton.Bridge@thomsonreuters.com;))