Monday, August 14, 2006

Gender Discrimination-(1)

Women's role in Japan is fairly diversified these days. For example, some women choose to be single while working all their life. Therefore, women's views about working are said to have changed in the past decade. If this is so, how has it changed?

Firstly, the number of couples where both the husband and the wife have a job is increasing in Japan. Many feel independent and satisfied with not only serving as housewives but also as career women. You would see many magazines that feature working women while rearing children.

On the other hand, the current ratio of women executives in Japan's corporations is about ten percent, increased only by one percent in the past decade. In the workplace, there still are discriminations on the grounds of gender. It may come from the custom that men were given priority.

However, the rate of women that accounts for all graduates with an advanced education has increased by eight percent from 1994 to 2004, though the figure is the lowest in 30 countries surveyed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. This may prevent women from securing a responsible position in a company.

Japan is witnessing a change in terms of women's career. However, we can see another trend on the trains, in the restaurants and other places. What do you think is it?
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