The United Nations stipulated March 8 as the International Women’s Day in 1975, and since then Secretary General of the organization is to send a message to all members every year, calling for arranging conditions to assure women’s social participation in full and equal terms.
WE NEED GENDER EQUALITY AND WORLD PEACE
In 1904 female workers, who had not yet the right to vote, held demonstrations in New York City, the United States, to demand improvement of working conditions.
Inspired by the actions, a German socialist Clara Zetkin proposed to establish a day to celebrate women’s political freedom and equality. She presented the idea in the meeting organized by the International Socialist Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910. The annual event began to be organized in Europe, which has extended to the rest of the world.
Japan commemorates 100th anniversary
The first women’s rally was held in Japan on March 8 in 1923 organized by the Sekirankai, or the Red Wave Society, the first socialist feminist group. This year celebrates precisely the 100th anniversary.
In these years we see a habit in which men hand over a small gift to women on the day, who have close ties with them in the daily life (friends, mothers, sweethearts, daughters and colleagues). In Italy men give a bunch of mimosas. The custom has reached Japan, too.
More than 30 countries in the world people celebrate March 8 as a holiday. In Japan many municipalities hold a creative, celebration event in the Women’s Center halls. These centers call for active participation of men.
Japan has a century of history to have a rally to celebrate the International Women’s Day, but, in the year 2020, the gender gap of the country ranks in the 116th place among the 146 countries. Gender equality has not been completed here in the country. In particular, female lawmakers occupy a very low percentage in the political life and few women have a manager’s position in the workplaces.
Recently the Bank of Japan replaced its president, but no women were nominated as President or Vice President. This fact clearly reflects lack of viewpoint on the gender balance.
Paternalism still prevails extensively
Concerning salaries of female workers, they receive 70% of those of male colleagues in the group of regularly employed workers. If the wages for the group of irregular workers is added, the ratio goes down to 50%, which records the lowest third place among the OECD nations. This is disgraceful. Many women workers are engaged in the fields of the child nursing and the elderly care. Such jobs are regarded as an extension of household chores and the workers are paid low wages.
Even today thinking based on patriarchy prevails broadly here. Concerning sexual minorities, same-sex marriage and an optional separate surname for a married couple, the systems are illegitimate and are not improved due to opposition by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which is ideologically reigned by such rightist organizations as the Japan Conference and the Unification Church. This has led to the huge retardation, compared with other countries in the world.
The New Socialist Party is determined to fight to create a society in which all people can be economically independent and can live on without sacrificing livelihood and lives, being in solidarity with women both inside and outside of the country.
１９０４年、アメリカ合衆国ニューヨークで参政権のない女性労働者が労働条件の改善を要求してデモを起こした。
これを受けてドイツの社会主義者クララ・ツェトキンが、１９１０年にデンマークのコペンハーゲンで行われた国際社会主義者会議で、「女性の政治的自由と平等のために闘う」記念日とするよう提唱して始まり、ヨーロッパ各地から世界に拡がった。
日本は１００周年
日本では１９２３年３月８日、社会主義フェミニスト団体「赤潤会」が初の集会を開催した。今年はちょうど１００周年となった。
近年では、男性が生活の中で関わる女性（友人・母親・恋人・娘・同僚など）にささやかなプレゼントを贈るのが通例となっている。イタリアではミモザの花を贈り合い、日本にも拡がっている。
また、世界30 カ国以上がこの日を祝日としている。全国の自治体では、女性センターなどで創意工夫をこらした行事が取り組まれ、男性の積極的な参加を求めている。
日本で「国際女性デー」の集会が開催されてから一世紀にもなるが、２０２２年のジェンダーギャップ指数は１４６カ国中１１６位であるように「ジェンダー平等」は進んでいない。特に政治分野での国会議員に占める女性の割合が低いことと、職場における女性管理職が少ないことが目立っている。今回の日銀の人事も総裁、副総裁に女性の登用はなく、日本のジェンダーバランスの視点のなさが浮き彫りになった。
「家父長制」色濃く
また、女性の賃金は正規労働者で男性の70％、非正規労働者含めた賃金は50％となっていて、ＯＥＣＤの中でワースト３位と不名誉な位置を占める。女性従事者が多い保育、介護などのケアワークは無償労働の家事の延長とされ、低賃金が横行している。
いまだに家父長制的な思考から脱却できず、性的少数者や、同性婚、選択的夫婦別姓などの制度化も、日本会議や旧統一教会などの影響を強く受けている自民党の反対で進まず、国際的にも大きく遅れを取っている。 新社会党は、すべての人が経済的に独立し、いのちと生活を犠牲にせず生きられる社会の実現にむけ、国内外の女性と結んで闘う決意だ。
英訳版↓
No. 1298 March 8 – International Women’s Day
The United Nations stipulated March 8 as the International Women’s Day in 1975, and since then Secretary General of the organization is to send a message to all members every year, calling for arranging conditions to assure women’s social participation in full and equal terms.
WE NEED GENDER EQUALITY AND WORLD PEACE
In 1904 female workers, who had not yet the right to vote, held demonstrations in New York City, the United States, to demand improvement of working conditions.
Inspired by the actions, a German socialist Clara Zetkin proposed to establish a day to celebrate women’s political freedom and equality. She presented the idea in the meeting organized by the International Socialist Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910. The annual event began to be organized in Europe, which has extended to the rest of the world.
Japan commemorates 100th anniversary
The first women’s rally was held in Japan on March 8 in 1923 organized by the Sekirankai, or the Red Wave Society, the first socialist feminist group. This year celebrates precisely the 100th anniversary.
In these years we see a habit in which men hand over a small gift to women on the day, who have close ties with them in the daily life (friends, mothers, sweethearts, daughters and colleagues). In Italy men give a bunch of mimosas. The custom has reached Japan, too.
More than 30 countries in the world people celebrate March 8 as a holiday. In Japan many municipalities hold a creative, celebration event in the Women’s Center halls. These centers call for active participation of men.
Japan has a century of history to have a rally to celebrate the International Women’s Day, but, in the year 2020, the gender gap of the country ranks in the 116th place among the 146 countries. Gender equality has not been completed here in the country. In particular, female lawmakers occupy a very low percentage in the political life and few women have a manager’s position in the workplaces.
Recently the Bank of Japan replaced its president, but no women were nominated as President or Vice President. This fact clearly reflects lack of viewpoint on the gender balance.
Paternalism still prevails extensively
Concerning salaries of female workers, they receive 70% of those of male colleagues in the group of regularly employed workers. If the wages for the group of irregular workers is added, the ratio goes down to 50%, which records the lowest third place among the OECD nations. This is disgraceful. Many women workers are engaged in the fields of the child nursing and the elderly care. Such jobs are regarded as an extension of household chores and the workers are paid low wages.
Even today thinking based on patriarchy prevails broadly here. Concerning sexual minorities, same-sex marriage and an optional separate surname for a married couple, the systems are illegitimate and are not improved due to opposition by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which is ideologically reigned by such rightist organizations as the Japan Conference and the Unification Church. This has led to the huge retardation, compared with other countries in the world.
The New Socialist Party is determined to fight to create a society in which all people can be economically independent and can live on without sacrificing livelihood and lives, being in solidarity with women both inside and outside of the country.
March 8, 2023