Moderator
Ms. Vivian Kanj
Professor and an artist
[su_accordion][su_spoiler title=”Bio” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
Lecturer in Communication and Art history. Artist with a passion for humanity and painting impressions on love, family, culture, heritage, and human suffering. Researcher in using art and cross-cultural communication as tools or expressions for empowering humanity and creating bridges of thought.
[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”Statement” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
The fifth Roppongi Dialogue will focus on women’s place and role in a family, society, and the world. It highlights the importance of sustaining and protecting women’s rights and the need for empowering women, in order to sustain family and humanity.
As the world today is experiencing a strange phenomenon, an unexpected and unimaginable war; it seems that the world has lost its sense of humanity. Here is where the role of women comes as crucial, not only for sustaining and supporting the family but also for humanity at its core. Empowering women is essential to the health and social development of families, societies, nations, and for the sustainability of humanity. Isn’t it time to delegate power to women, in order to have an alternative vision, strategy, even outlook, or a new way to achieve peace, democracy, and protection of our planet earth and to preserve humanism?
Empowering women means, giving leadership positions to women and equal roles as men, in all fields of life; in education, economics and politics. Empowering women means that women need to be paid equally to men and provided with protection from all types of abuse. Empowering women, is the full participation and partnership of both women and men, including shared responsibilities for the care and development of children, and maintenance of the household.
Today, women around the world are still facing continuous threats to their lives, they are overburdened with work, with a lack of power and influence in their societies. The world should act in empowering women and eliminating inequality between men and women by establishing mechanisms for women’s equal participation in all levels of public life; also by promoting the fulfillment of women’s potential and by eliminating all practices of discrimination and violence against women. Governments should establish mechanisms to accelerate women’s equal participation in the decision-making process. The equal status of women and human rights of women should be integrated into the mainstream of the United Nation’s system.
Today there have been reforms for women’s inclusion, but it is not enough. The world is in desperate need for change. The world needs a new path trail-blazed by women’s outlook and vision. Women are highly capable when given equal rights and opportunities to follow their dreams. This change will have a positive impact on the family, on the world, and life will certainly improve for everyone. Today every man and woman should become a feminist, if we want the world to move forward, and not backward into ignorance, self-indulgence, violence, and wars.
[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Panel
Ms. Supreet Dhiman
Feminist writer/researcher, End Incest, Director
[su_accordion][su_spoiler title=”Bio” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
An entrepreneur by instinct and a researcher by accident, Supreet Dhiman graduated in Economics & Administration from the University of Warwick. Following up with an MBA, she worked with Race Equality Council on European Social Fund projects before returning to India to set up her own enterprise, StoneArt.
Supreet has mastered the art of mobilizing voluntary action in diverse fields by investing in human capital. Research-based, End Incest Trust is striving for our homes to be free of sexual abuse in 11 Indian States & U.T.s through collaborative policy planning and community action. Can & Will Foundation is raising an army of professionally qualified role models in disadvantaged communities by helping intelligent undergrads overcome financial hurdles. Founder of India’s first community-based adventure group CATS, Supreet also raises environmental concerns through hiking, biking, paragliding, rafting, camping, etc.
Respected for the integrity she brings in every sphere of life, Supreet is also a trusted POCSO and POSH Consultant, Social Scientist Member of the Ethics Committee of Fortis Hospital, and Panel Member of Joint Internal Complaint Committee constituted by 5 government departments for the protection of women employees against sexual harassment.
If there is one thing that Supreet has learned and imbibes in life, it is the value of relationships both at work and in personal life, charmingly reflected in her book titled, ‘Mother of All Tales,’. A TEDx and Josh Talks speaker, a TED Circles Host, Supreet is in demand to convey innovative ideas and key messages through storytelling, which she delivers in multiple languages.
Now she is raising awareness and fighting the sexual violence of insects. www.endincest.org
[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”Statement” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
So what is a woman’s place, especially within the context of an Indian family, a Punjabi family to be specific? Is she the one who gives birth to the Kings or is she the one who is then expected to continue serving the Kings she bears with the skin of her teeth? Is that why the first Sikh Guru, Baba Nanak had said, ‘So kyun manda aakhiye jitt jamme rajaan!’ Loosely translated it says, ‘Why to speak ill of the one who gives birth to the kings.’
Sikhism gave women a place of honor. Hinduism worships females as Goddesses. Islam has secured the intent and consent of a woman. Yet, isn’t it interesting that all religious figureheads continue to be men? Twelve Indian laws protect the rights of women in personal, professional, and social spaces. Yet, why India has appointed 48 men, but never a woman as Chief Justice of India? Why do we rarely find a woman on the Boards? How many women representatives do you see in the Parliament? Closer home, how many of us actually find ourselves in the wills of our fathers or husbands?
Regardless of how much we keep singing Louis Armstrong, we can’t really have a wonderful world unless women have their rightful place in every sphere of life.
[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Ms. Yuko Hayashi, Phd
Professor, Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management, Yamaguchi University
[su_accordion][su_spoiler title=”Bio” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
Professor, Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management at Yamaguchi University, a Liaison Member of the Science Council of Japan, an Outside Director of JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., which is producing the AZD1222 vaccine against COVID-19 for Japanese.
Bachelor’s degree from the School of Medicine, Health Sciences at the University of Tokyo, followed by a Master of Science in Technology and Policy Program from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Engineering from the University of Tokyo in October 2006.
Her research interests are based on the management of technology including policy-making in science and technology fields focusing on mediating functions between scientists and policymakers, innovation in advanced medical technology, and innovation for solving social problems related to SDGs. She has given more than 50 educational and popular talks at scientific seminars and colloquia. In addition, she has received research grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Her prominent social contributions are a Vice-President of Japan MOT (Management of Technology) Society, Director of Japan Society for Research Policy and Innovation Management, Director of Special Olympics Nippon, and an Executive Director of Cultural and Sports Support Organization for the Great East Japan Earthquake’s Orphans.
[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”Statement” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
COVID-19, which has had a major impact on the service industry and non-regular employment, made many women and young people unemployed. In the post-COVID-19, my answer to “Where is Women’s Place?” is the SDGs slogan “No one left behind” so-called “No women (of course no men) left behind.” Even at present, we consume more than the biosphere could sustain so various problems happened including global warming, water, food, and energy shortage, although the biosphere must support 9 billion people by 2050. Every person should be placed in the right place depending on their preferences and abilities in order to optimize limited resources. Two keywords are diversity and inclusion of women. Two hypotheses will be set to explain the importance of diversity and inclusion of women.
Hypothesis 1: Inclusion of many women who are currently left behind leads to resource optimization.
Hypothesis 2: Diversity promotes innovation and creates new markets. Women’s diverse perspective promotes sustainability and leads to resource optimization. Moreover, the contribution of accolated digital society for diversity and inclusion will be explained.
Current Status of Gender Gap in Japan: According to the 2021 World Economic Forum’s Gender gap report 2021, Japan ranks 120th, the lowest among OECD countries. Politics is the lowest-ranked field in Japan. There are no women in the policy-making ( Female members of parliament 9.9%,
female ministers 10% ) Economic participation and opportunities rank 117th. The percentage of women in senior positions is low (14.7%). Although 72.8% of women are employed, the average income of Japanese women is 43.7% lower than that of Japanese men[2]. The gap means a state of being excluded. These gaps should be closed to optimize the allocation of women’s talent and
preference.
Hypothesis 1:
The concept of Inclusive is “not excluding any of the parties or groups involved in something.” Some people think that Inclusion “increases burden” and is “inefficient”. However, the Wassenaar Agreement in the Netherlands in 1982 succeeded in sharing work hours between men and women. In 2020, the per capita GDP of the Netherlands is 11th in the world, which is higher than Japan’s 24th. Scandinavian countries tend to have high per capita GDP and Gender GAP index[1]. As digitization has made remote work, gig work, and avatar work possible, increasing the variety of work styles makes the inclusion of women in the workplace more. Christensen defined non-consumers as people who have been excluded from a market because of lack of skill, knowledge, or assets, and he has shown that installing simple, usable, reasonable priced, and small products that trigger disruptive innovation in markets can include non-consumers[3]. Digitalization accelerates the inclusion of non-consumers in the markets. For example, cell phones provide learning, working, communicating opportunities for women, who are non-consumers in developing and emerging countries.
Hypothesis 2: AI and robots will replace the works which humans are able to do efficiently. Critical jobs after Covid-19 will be more innovative and creative.
Since the first world conference for women was convened in Mexico City in 1975, gender equality sometimes has been misunderstood as that men and women are the same. However, since men and women are different, recently the way of thinking has been shifting to the strategy that diversity leads to the growth of the economy or companies. Many investors are investing in companies that harness women. In Japan as well, GPIF(Government Pension Investment Fund) has set up a women’s index and is targeting investment through it. Differences in female characteristics contribute to optimization. The following three cases show the possibility that women can promote the optimization of resources by increasing the diverse perspectives of women.
First, McKinsey report 2021 shows that female managers are more likely than males to consult with their subordinates on work styles, mental health, etc. The number of people who cannot work due to burnout syndrome is increasing under the Covid-19 pandemic. Female managers have the potential to solve this problem more and promote talent optimization than male managers[1]. Second, my group[4] conducted a New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) questionnaire to evaluate the degree of consideration for the environment, devised by Dunlap, to men and women in 32 countries and obtained 1087 valid responses. The t-test (?) verified that the women’s NEP index was significantly higher than that of men. This means that women are more environmentally conscious than men. In addition, Social Dominant Orientation (SDO) is higher for men than for women. The study showed that negotiations between people with high and low SDO did not work[4]. It suggests that women’s business negotiation may create new ways to achieve contracts. Third, “Gendered Innovations” which create innovation and discovery using sex, gender, and intersectional analysis, add valuable dimensions to research[5]. For example, in Covid-19, as severity and side reactions differ in gender, these investigations might lead to a new aspect of the research approach.
Finally, I would like to stress that inclusion and diversity work strategically for value-added growth and innovation, thus, contributing to the optimization of resources of our world.
References
- https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/
- Mckinsey & Company, “Women in the workplace,” p. 18, 2021.
- C. M. Christensen, The Prosperity Paradox:How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty. Harper Business, 2019.
- F. STEL, Y. Hayashi, and A. Leung, “Do honesty, social dominance and environmental concerns predict priorities of sustainable development?,” Acad. Manag. Proceeding, vol. 1, 2021.
- E. Commision, How inclusive analysis contributes to research and innovation: policy review, no. November. 2020.
[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Ms. Junko Niino
Vice President Operations, Investment Banker
[su_accordion][su_spoiler title=”Bio” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
Graduated from Keio University, the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law. Nearly 30 years of service in global investment banks, mother of a daughter, and a weekend painter. Experienced Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. Skilled in Securities, Equities, Capital Markets, Back Office Operations, and Credit Derivatives.
[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”Statement” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
Thirty years hence, I started my career as Finance Officer with a French company in Japan which was the only non-Japanese company that would hire women on equal remunerations to men. While I served in US, UK, and Japanese companies throughout my career, I happened to witness an underrepresented/ scarce space for women employees in this industry. Contrary to the patriarchal belief, I proved as an asset to the organization due to my undying and assertive approach amidst all odds.
The gradual shift in the role of banks from investment/trading to protection/ controlling has contributed positively towards women’s employment in this sector. Although functionally the gender gap has narrowed down with the advent of technology, but gender inequality pertains to career progression and wage disparity still persists, especially in Japan.
Inspite of the fact that women strive to save their job under the demanding circumstances of performing dual roles/responsibilities both at home and office, it’s extremely unjust and unfair when someone expects promotions in her career graph.
However, I could manage well to strike a balance between work and family life and succeeded in pursuing my career like any other woman being a mother. Having a family was not a handicap for me.
[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Mr. Roopinder Singh
Author and Senior Journalist
[su_accordion][su_spoiler title=”Bio” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
Roopinder Singh is an author and a journalist who was Senior Associate Editor with The Tribune, an institution he served for three decades. Before joining The Tribune he was Assistant Editor, India Observer, New York, NY, USA. A student of Philosophy, he earned his BA (Hons), Philosophy, and MA degrees from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.
Roopinder has published many books, including Sikh Heritage, Ethos and Relics (co-author), Delhi ’84, Guru Nanak: His Life and Teachings, and Arjan Singh DFC: Marshal of the Indian Air Force. His latest book is an edited festschrift on his mother, Inderjit Kaur, a path-breaking academician, and administrator.
[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”Statement” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]
Growing up with strong women role models indeed showed me what women can achieve and the immense hard work and resilience this success requires. It also revealed what they can’t. My mother, born in 1923 and passed on in January this year, broke glass ceilings — as a woman Vice-Chancellor in 1975 and as Chairperson of one of the most prestigious government recruitment bodies of the Government of India in 1980.
I documented how she negotiated with her family and society to make space for herself in a man-dominated world. I treasure the picture of her, taken in Lahore, holding her MA degree, ready to face the world, which would soon be torn asunder by the Partition of 1947. She would by then be in her hometown, Patiala, in East Punjab. That’s when a teacher became an activist.
I have seen how every woman has to negotiate barriers, patriarchal, feudal, social, and others, to ascend the ladder of success. No doubt women do not have it easy, but we cannot underplay the contribution of such role models in creating a sufficiently level field for women today. The situation is changing for the better vis-à-vis gender sensitivity and parity. The eternal optimist in me is confident that hurdles existing in the path of women across the world will be overcome soon.
I come not from an academic place, buttressed by data and theories; I come from my heart and observations of a lifetime that have shown the strength of my women colleagues, friends, and relatives. I firmly believe that the change/progress that women today yearn for will come from the family. It is the fundamental unit that shapes young minds and can either build them for the future or allow their regressive behavior to fester. If proper balance, respect, and sensitivity are maintained at this level, then the battle for women’s rights will be won in the true sense.
[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Performers
Ms.Akari Otsuki and Mr.Hibiki Kato
Akari Otsuki (Vocal)
国立音楽大学 声楽科在学中
Hibiki Kato (Pianist)
倉敷作陽大学 モスクワ音楽院特別演奏コース在学中
F.Chopin nocturne op.48-1
F.P Tosti Ideale