女性管理職比率 無理なく高める環境整備急げ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Create a work environment in which more women can become managers
女性管理職比率　無理なく高める環境整備急げ

Now that Japan is a society with a declining population, it is essential for more women to be appointed to positions of leadership so the nation can achieve sustainable economic growth and increase its international competitiveness.
　日本が人口減少社会を迎えた今、持続的な経済成長を実現し、国際競争力を高めるには、女性を指導的地位に登用することが欠かせない。

The Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) recently announced voluntary action plans by 47 of its major member companies to increase their number of female managers and board directors. Of them, 27 have set concrete numerical targets for promoting female workers to managerial posts. Three companies, including Shiseido Co., plan to have women filling 30 percent of these roles within two to seven years.
　経団連が、女性管理職を増やすための主要な会員企業４７社の自主行動計画を公表した。このうち、２７社が具体的な数値目標を掲げている。資生堂など３社は２～７年以内に女性管理職の割合を３０％に引き上げるという。

Compared with firms in other developed nations, Japanese companies lag well behind when it comes to placing women in positions of responsibility. In the United States, 43 percent of managerial positions are held by women, while the figure in each nation in the European Union is 30 percent or higher. By contrast, Japan languishes at just 11 percent.
　日本企業は、他の先進国と比べて、女性が責任ある立場に就くことが遅れている。女性管理職の比率は、米国が４３％で、欧州各国も軒並み３０％以上なのに対し、日本は１１％にとどまっている。

We think it is appropriate that Keidanren is calling on its member companies to give women more positions up the corporate ladder through policies like those espoused in the action plans.
　経団連が各企業に対し、行動計画の策定を通じて、女性の活用を呼びかけるのは妥当と言える。

Announcing the action plans could also be an opportunity to bring together talented human resources. Showing proactive efforts to promote women will appeal to female students hunting for jobs.
　行動計画の公表は、優秀な人材を集める機会にもなる。積極的な取り組みを示せば、就職活動中の女子学生にアピールしよう。

Some of the plans were vague on many details, with some not including numerical targets. We hope these companies will review their policies as needed and incorporate more specifics.
　今回の計画には、目標人数が示されないなど、あいまいなものもある。随時、見直して、より具体的な内容にしてもらいたい。

Of course, just setting targets for increasing the number of women in senior positions will not be enough. Preparing workplace environments that will enable the achievement of these targets will be vital.
　無論、単に女性管理職を増やす目標を掲げれば済む訳ではない。肝心なのは、それを実現するための職場環境を整えることだ。

Companies can do more

The Equal Employment Opportunity Law, which came into effect in 1986, has enabled women to choose major career tracks and seek promotions to managerial posts the same way as men. In 1992, the Child Care Leave Law took effect, which obligated companies to establish a maternity leave system for their employees. These and other steps have set up a legal framework that creates such workplace environments—to a point.
　１９８６年の男女雇用機会均等法の施行で、女性も、男性と同様に総合職を選択し、管理職を目指しやすくなった。９２年には育児休業法が施行され、育児休業制度を企業に義務づけるなど、法制度の整備は一応、進んできた。

However, for women who get married and have children, the chronic shortage of day care centers and the lopsided burden of household chores and child care shouldered by women are obstacles to acquiring enough of the work experience necessary for handling managerial positions.
　だが、結婚・出産した女性にとっては、保育所の恒常的な不足に加え、家事や育児の負担が女性に偏っていることが、管理職になるために必要な職務経験を積む上での障害となっている。

In addition to rethinking the practice of demanding long working hours, Japan needs to expand and make more widespread child care leave for male workers. It also will be important to steadily craft systems that make it easier for women to return to the office after they temporarily leave to give birth and look after a child.
　長時間労働を求める慣行を見直すとともに、男性の育休制度を拡充・普及させる必要がある。出産や育児のために女性が一時的に職場を離れても、復帰しやすい制度作りを進めることも大切だ。

Sometimes workers are transferred to other areas. Some companies have introduced a system that enables women who are taking care of a child but want to continue working to be transferred to the same area should their spouses be relocated. Perhaps other businesses should consider adopting such a system.
　一部企業は、女性が子育てをしながら働き続けられるように、配偶者が転勤する際、同じ地域に異動できる制度を導入している。他の企業も参考にしてはどうか。

It also would be well worth considering setting up specialist training and education programs for women with the qualities to fill managerial positions.
　管理職の資質を有する女性を対象とした専門の研修・教育制度を設けることも検討に値しよう。

The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has set a goal of raising the percentage of women filling leadership posts in all fields of society to 30 percent by the end of 2020.
　安倍政権は、社会のあらゆる分野において指導的地位に占める女性の割合を、２０年には３０％に引き上げることを目指している。

Achieving this goal will not be simple. But we hope that society as a whole will support the efforts being made by the public and private sectors.
　目標達成は簡単ではないが、官民を挙げた取り組みを社会全体で後押ししたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 24, 2014)