(This POV was constructed from the blog author's own research on the topic)
From Yuma Ozaki.
I'm Yuma Ozaki, 34 year-old, single, and working at one of the biggest firm in Tokyo.
Recently, I got a question from my little cousin, Shioppy who became interested in work-life balance through her university classes. That is "Do you support the quota system?".
Initially, I was confused because I have never thought that women can also be promoted as much as men, since gender gap here in Japan is huge. But I wanted Shioppy to learn deeply more on women empowerment, I answered, "Yes, of course I do."
But, Did I really care and support the Idea at that point?---I feel sorry to Shioppy, but to be honest, I was a con to the quota system.
As I mentioned, I work at the big company so there are many rivals who seek their chance to be promoted and I am the one of them. I have no girlfriend nor wife so if I want to get them, I need to have plenty income. So, to get a girlfriend, I have to be promoted. And of course man with a low status at a company is seen as a loser in Japanese society, so I have to work hard to avoid that situation.
However, after thinking a while, I became to think differently... If women will be promoted more and more, my pressure for promotion might ease..???
I'm not sure yet whether I support the quota system or not, but I hope the society will be more flexible and comfortable for both men and women to live with.
Written by Shioppy
That's an interesting perspective and I like the way it was presented...without absolute certainty, and from the perspective of someone who has a somewhat open mind and who is being honest with themself.
ReplyDeleteI think it is curious, though, for him to come to the conclusion that "If women will be promoted more and more, my pressure for promotion might ease," because competition would actually get stiffer, wouldn't it. There would fewer positions to compete for.