【英作文】英検一級 Should more be done to promote equality for women in Japan?

2007年第2回試験

TOPIC:

Should more be done to promote equality for women in Japan?

In 2014, Japan ranked 104 out of 142 countries in terms of gender equality. Some people insist that only limited action can be taken to decrease the gender gap, but I strongly believe that more should be done to promote equality for women in Japan. I have three reasons to support my opinion.

Firstly, I will talk about payment. Women in Japan receive nearly 30% less pay than their male counterparts, even for similar work. Therefore, the government should have a regulation to make the salary for women and men the same.

Secondly, let us consider office culture. In Japan, long hours and presenteeism are the best ways to move up the corporate ladder. It is difficult for some women to fit into this type of office culture because of family commitments that men are not expected to meet. Therefore, workplaces should allow employees to take flextime and work at home. This would create more equal opportunity for women to get promoted at work.

Finally, support services are another important factor. Some women cannot work because of family and household responsibilities. However, if more is done to support working women, such as more childcare facilities or home help, this can allow more women to work. This would make working opportunities more equal for both women and men.

For these reasons, I think that several actions can be implemented to make women's participation in society, especially at work, more equal to that of men. Although improving equality for women in Japan would be difficult and requires a lot of effort, I believe that it would be worth it and everyone can benefit.