September 2006 Archives

In recent years, there is a growing trend toward de-normalized employment in Japan. Whether it be contract or freelance work, it may affect your future career path. Let us learn more about the differences between the status of regular and de-normalized workers, to avoid any regrets after you have joined the workforce.
Currently, there are some signs of improvement in the problem of male-female wage discrepancy, but the gap is widening in terms of the treatment of regular and de-normalized employees. In addition, part-time, temporary, or contract employment is on the rise and now encompasses more than half of the total female work population. On the other hand, the advertisements of temporary-employment companies promote contract employment as “the type of work that emphasizes an individual’s skills, values and lifestyle balance.”
Guest speakers Ms. Midori Ito and Ms. Toyomi Fujii from Women’s Union Tokyo, will discuss the recent changes in work conditions and the reality of different employment options today. We invite your active participation so as to help determine the best working style for your future career.

CGS will run three weekly book clubs this term. We have a diverse line-up on offer: on Tuesdays we will read Bell Hooks' Feminism is for Everybody as an introduction to feminism, on Wednesdays, we embark on a new endeavour with a work on feminist theology, and on Thursdays, we will read a variety of texts on Gender and Sexuality theory by writers such as Judith Butler, Drucilla Cornell and Adrienne Rich. Please come and join us!

Constitutional reform is now the subject of heated debate in the media, particularly in the newspapers and on television. This reflects the importance and complexity of the issue in Japan today. Yet, despite the variety of viewpoints from which the problems of constitutional revision have been discussed, few have incorporated a gender perspective.