One of the goals of the JWLI Fellows Program is to encourage women to be leaders in Japanese communities and society. The following article illustrates some positive changes in Japan's corporate culture.
Japan ranked in 101st in the “gender gap index” study by the World Economic Forum, an international nonprofit that measured the economic opportunities and political empowerment of women by nation in 2009. Iceland ranked No. 1, while the U.S. was No. 31.
Japanese women make up just 9% of senior officials and managers—a tiny share compared to 43% in the U.S., 17% in China and 38% in France, according to data from the International Labour Office compiled by Catalyst Inc, a New York-based nonprofit that pushes for business opportunities for women.
Morra Aarons-Mele, the founder of consulting company Women Online and an expert on women’s professional development, thinks it’s not enough for a company to have smart women who know how to market to women, and says it’s more critical whether such women get to rise to leadership positions.
“If the Panasonic women’s products are simply a public relations stunt or a fun marketing idea that won’t go much further, then I do think they are unfairly typecasting women product designers,” she told The Associated Press.
“If these new programs help some women designers get noticed and promoted to a place where they can take the lead in designing many products, not just hair dryers, then I think it’s great.”
Whatever the wares, Yamada is confident her team of women has mastered the way to a Japanese woman’s heart—something she says her male counterparts and bosses can’t hope to match.
(full Japan Today article)
No comments:
Post a Comment