Hello, I am a feminist activist.
How many of you here consider himself a feminist activist?
How many of you here at this moment, thought about the difficulty of dealing with it?
I know that some of you smile and think,
“Man, I do not like this woman.”
but it’s okay.
That’s exactly what I felt when I joined the university
I met one who calls herself a feminist activist.
Men and women alike do not like so-called feminist activists
Or who raise the issue of gender.
A few years later, during my academic year,
With my openness to new ideas,
I noticed then that women still suffer from discrimination.
So I told my friend that I wanted to change society
So that we ensure equality for all men and women.
I told him: “Is not it crazy that Japan is one of the most developed countries
But only 3.1% of women as board members?
In other countries such as the United States,
There are 20%
He looked surprised and then looked at me and said:
“Reina, how can you change something like that?
Even if you can,
It is not that women can not hold leadership positions anymore:
They just do not want that, right?
You look like a feminist. “
From then on, she stopped raising the issue of gender,
Because what I can say is something so I look like a feminist activist,
People treat me as if I were a stranger.
I still believe that men and women must be equal,
And a greater number must assume leadership positions.
But I stopped
Because I was afraid of losing people’s love and appearing before them.
My university was one of the top universities in Japan,
Especially in business.
Which is Kyo University.
You are surrounded by the most intelligent male and female students there.
I joined Kyo University because I wanted to do something great
I also wanted to have a successful career in business.
So imagine my surprise
When I heard the study
Which shows that 80% of college classmates in my college
They want to become housewives.
I was shocked.
I was surprised that the person who wanted to have a successful career
After graduating from Kew University –
The thing that seemed natural to me –
He was among the minority.
I was shocked and could not understand that fact,
But at the same time I did not want that to destroy my ambition.
Instead, I started to think
I want to prove that as a woman I can become successful in business.
That was the reason that after graduating from my university,
I started working in an investment bank,
It is a good place to start a successful career.
During the first year, I was in Singapore and had an amazing year.
Two thirds of my directors and half of my colleagues were women.
This exceeded my expectations.
I thought then,
“Maybe women can become leaders if they want to.”
Then, I returned to Tokyo.
In the Tokyo office, seven of us were women,
The remaining 70 or 80 colleagues were men.
But this is only the beginning of a men-dominated work environment.
Every Friday, these male coworkers go for a drink,
And to meet other women even though they have families waiting for them.
They gave jokes openly about their sexual achievements with women
In front of all colleagues.
The most appropriate way to describe it
That these male colleagues saw women as objects or spoils,
So they did not mind sharing their views.
As you can imagine, I felt incredibly uncomfortable there.
But I had to pretend I understood them,
As you also “boy,”
I had to laugh about it.
I felt that if I showed my objection I might lose their love for me,
They may have thought I was a difficult person to deal with
Or work with him.
Like many of you who raised their hands at first,
Or perhaps more of my youth time,
I felt that my objection would limit my career opportunities.
After a year of experience in this masculine environment,
I could not escape the feeling that I did not belong to that place.
During the same period, I was associated with someone.
This connection and the fact that I was not belonging to the place there,
Non-mental 180 degrees.
Although my association is without pregnancy,
I began to prepare myself to suit the role of women,
To become a housewife and a babysitter at home.
I started to think
It’s probably better for me to be a housewife and a mother
Instead of having my career.
I remember thinking,
“I did not have to work hard
Since I will stop after a few years
When he became pregnant anyway? “
That was when I stopped leaning forward instead I started leaning back.
I stopped hunting all the opportunities I had at work.
After the engagement I had the opportunity to talk to my friends from the university
To celebrate my association.
We were talking about my situation,
And how I was ambitious university days.
But by talking to them, I realized that I had lost my ambition,
I also realized that this is how women leaders in Japan disappear.
80% of female college students in my university want to become housewives
Rather than living a successful career in business.
This does not show that they are not only ambitious enough,
But this shows
They follow only societal norms and messages
Which they receive throughout their lifetime.
The rest of the 20%
We enter society with high motivation,
We observe and face the society that informs you unconsciously
The workplace is limited to men only.
Society also informs you unconsciously
That women should take care of the family,
And that the man is the one who seeks and brings money to the family.
After I realized this, I began to think:
If it is a violation of societal norms
Is what keeps me from achieving what I want to accomplish,
I do not want to follow that.
This was when I decided I would move forward again,
Rather than leaning back.
I started to catch all the opportunities and assume all the responsibilities that are presented to me.
Currently, while working full-time,
I work as a co-founder and as a leader for me leaning forward Tokyo Branch.
The forward tilt of the Tokyo branch is part of the “forward tilt” movement,
Which began in the United States,
In the light of the book “The Mile Forward” to his owner, operations manager on Facebook Cheryl Sandberg.
“Forward” means moving forward towards your own goals
And not to allow community norms to discourage this.
The tilt towards the Tokyo branch aims to create a society
Where all women can challenge and pursue their ambitions.
I founded this group because I knew there were lots of women like me.
Those who enter the community out of high motivation
But meet environments that limit their chances.
Those who stop raising their hands and thus lose opportunities
Because they unconsciously feel that they are forbidden to succeed.
I felt the responsibility to help them and support them so that they could move forward.
The tilt forward Tokyo branch offers an environment
Where all women can learn from senior leaders
How to reconcile their life events and work at the same time.
We also offer a place
Where all women can talk about the issues they face at home or at work.
Since we started our group this year,
We interviewed 500 men and women during our activities.
These are the truly forward-looking people for gender equality.
By gathering and speaking,
We encourage each other.
Men help women and women help other women:
With each other we are better and stronger.
Let’s go back for a moment to the word “feminism.”
Which of these pictures do you think women activists are showing?
In fact, all of them.
Although each has its own way of expressing itself,
All women activists,
Because the true definition of feminism is the belief in gender equality.
Under this definition,
I think everyone here should become feminist activists,
It is not shameful to define you as a feminist.
Because in order to change societal norms,
We must talk about it openly.
I do not say that you choose to be a housewife or stay at home
Is a bad choice for women:
I respect all women who devote their time and effort to their families.
what I mean
That women should not be able to choose their own path.
In fact, feminism is not limited to women only;
But for men as well,
Because men are also forced to choose one because of societal custom,
It is a choice of work versus stay at home.
I feel happy that my husband calls himself a female activist,
We are both women activists
Because we both want to have the same options:
Either my pursuit of my career,
Or his survival is at home.
In fact, I think I was always a feminist:
My only choice is to talk openly
And tilt forward.
This is an option you can choose too, guys.
I know that some of you here may not have been discriminated between the sexes yet,
But I want you to remember the true definition of femininity
And to lean forward in the future.
thank you.
(clap)
”
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