Spotlight by SparkDojo Issue #2 『男女平等』 - イベントレポート

(English Report Follows)

1月末にSparkDojo主催のパネルイベント、SPOTLIGHT のIssue #2 が開催されました。今回のテーマは「Gender Equality／男女平等・男女同権」。パネリストは Code Crysalis 共同創業者兼CTOの Yan Fan、Educate For エグゼクティブディレクター Kazuna Yamamoto、俳優の Chuck Johnson、そしてGaiax ブランドディレクターの Natalia Davydova。

今回もグローバルなパネリストがそれぞれの文化背景・経験をもとに日本における社会問題とその解決へのアイディアについて語ってくれました。（当日の様子はこちら：https://youtu.be/f-abK8qvM3Y）

Yan Fan はテクノロジーの分野において女性が活躍するためのハードルや、女性の活躍によって広がるイノベーションの機会・可能性とその実現に必要なことについてシェアしてくれました。

Kazuna Yamamoto は社会的な女性蔑視に関する問題意識や対策などについて意見を述べ、「週刊SPA！」の問題記事に対する自身の署名活動や同週刊誌の編集部との話し合いにも触れながら、課題の多い現状と、教育の大切さと具体的な案について語ってくれました。

俳優のChuck Johnson は、映画業界の最近の動向として、女性の働きやすさや女性の活躍の機会など、様々な状況が改善されている実態を通じて複数のアイディアを紹介してくれました。

最後のパネリストNatalia Davydova は、母国のロシアと日本での状況比較も交えながら、日本では常にフェアな環境でフェアな境遇を受けて来たことを語り、それがどういうことなのかと、自分の例が特別なケースとならないように男女平等の議論を続ける必要があると述べました。

パネリストトークのあとはフリーディスカッションを挟み、オープンパネルディスカッション形式でオーディエンスも交えて意見交換しました。他国での成功事例を引き合いに、政府の役割、教育の見直しなど色々な声が上がりましたが、同時に日本の文化・習慣・状況を踏まえた、日本にとっての最適な解決策を考えて各種制度・施策を導入していく必要があると意見がまとまりました。

日本における社会問題について新しい視点をお持ちの方・求めている方、文化背景や専門領域が異なる参加者からなる多様性のある環境で議論をする場を探している方、次回の SPOTLIGHT へのご参加をお待ちしております！

次回は3月28日（木）で、テーマは政府が少子化対策の中で取り上げている「未婚率」になります。ご興味のある方はぜひこちらのアドレスから次回イベントの参加方法についてご確認ください：https://www.sparkdojo.jp/activities

We welcomed a diverse group of panelists, each with their own unique insights and ideas. You can see what the event was like from the video here: https://youtu.be/f-abK8qvM3Y

Yan Fan, Co-Founder and CTO of Code Crysalis, highlighted the challenges of women to succeed in the tech industry and the need to diversify the field for further innovative advancements and growth.

Kazuna Yamamoto, a student activist currently enrolled at ICU and Executive Director of Educate For, presented her personal mission of fighting the objectification of and discrimination against women in Japan. Kazuna shared her recent experience starting an online petition against Japanese tabloid magazine SPA! that published an article on which university’s female students were more likely to be convinced to have sex.

The third panelist, Chuck Johnson, spoke about his unique experience of working as an actor and stuntman in the Japanese film and entertainment industry for many years. He shared the recent changes that have been undertaken in order to ensure greater equality in the working environment and conditions, and how such changes have reshaped a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Finally, Natalia Davydova, Branding Director for Gaiax, offered her personal experience coming to Japan from Russia, a country with similar issues regarding gender equality, and the similarities and differences that exist between the countries in terms of how they are tackling the issue.

The open panel discussion involving both the panelists and the participants revolved around the role that culture, social perceptions, and mindsets play in this issue, and how education is the starting point to instill in young minds the values that promote equality. More important, however, is the process through which this is done; instead of a top-down teaching style, students must be encouraged to explore their own thoughts on their own, ask questions, and seek answers. The same could be said for the workplace; instead of conducting HR seminars and workshops that promote equality based on a set manual or procedure, companies must create an opportunity and space for employees to initiate their own discussions and freely exchange their thoughts.

However, revamping the country’s entire education system is a long-term challenge. The discussion also focused on the possibility that for there to be substantive, actual changes, the quickest way is through the execution of mechanical changes installed by the government -- such as government initiatives, policies, and quota systems. The society must first be molded by formal, top-down initiatives first to close the gap between the ideal and reality . This model has seen success in many countries, but in order for this to work, there needs to be clear policies and legislations issued by the government and legal ramifications or penalties in the event they are not followed.

The next issue that SPOTLIGHT will tackle on March 28 is: the declining marriage rate in Japan. Thank you to everyone who joined this event, and we hope to see you at the next one as well!

SparkDojo provides English communication skills training for individuals and corporate clients.
We have a school in Aoyama, Tokyo, and we provide a comprehensive training program that includes building a global mindset, increasing language fluency, and acquiring communication techniques for professionals of all levels.
https://www.sparkdojo.jp/en/