英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Shortening long working hours vital for women’s active participation in society
女性活躍法　長時間労働の是正が不可欠だ

With the workforce shrinking, it is increasingly important to improve the working environment for women to enable them to fulfill their potential.
　労働力人口が減る中、女性が能力を発揮して働ける環境整備の重要性は増している。

“The final curtain has been drawn on the era in which people ask why we promote the dynamic engagement of women in society. Now is the time for us to discuss how to bring it into reality,” said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at an international symposium held last week.
　「なぜ、女性の活躍を推進するのかを問う時代は終わった。今は、いかに実現するかを議論する時だ」。安倍首相は、先週の国際シンポジウムで、こう強調した。

By a majority vote supported by parties including the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, a new bill was recently enacted to promote the active engagement of women in society. We hope this law will help accelerate efforts in this regard by both the public and private sectors.
　女性活躍推進法が、自民、民主、公明など各党の賛成多数で成立した。官民の取り組みを加速させる契機としたい。

The new law makes it obligatory for companies with a workforce of at least 301 people to draw up and publicize action programs to promote women, including numerical targets. Companies with 300 or fewer employees are only urged to make efforts to compile action programs.
　新法は、従業員３０１人以上の企業に、女性登用の数値目標を含めた行動計画の策定と公表を義務づけた。３００人以下の企業については、努力義務とした。

What the numerical targets apply to and their specific levels are to be decided by the companies themselves, depending on the situation of each company. Envisaged numerical targets include the number of women hired and the percentage of managerial positions held by women. There are no penalties for failing to reach the targets.
　数値目標の内容や水準は、企業が実情に合わせて独自に決める。採用数や管理職に占める女性の割合などが想定される。目標を達成できなくても、罰則はない。

The hiring of women and their promotion to executive posts vary by industry and by company. It is realistic for the government to let companies decide these targets on their own, instead of establishing unified standards.
　業種や企業ごとに、女性登用の状況は異なる。政府が一律の基準を設定せず、企業の自主性に委ねたのは、現実的な措置だ。

By also establishing a system for the government to recognize companies that excel in meeting their targets, the new law will encourage companies to tackle these tasks proactively. It is important for each company to decide on effective targets and plans.
　実施状況が優良な企業の認定制度も設け、積極的な取り組みを促す。各企業が実効性ある目標と計画を定めることが大切である。


Diversity benefits companies

The government aims to have 30 percent of leadership positions held by women by 2020. The present figure in Japanese companies is 11 percent, far below U.S. and European companies where the number ranges from 30 to 40 percent.
　政府は、２０２０年までに指導的地位に占める女性の割合を３０％にすることを目指している。現在、企業における女性管理職の割合は１１％にとどまり、欧米の３０〜４０％に比べ、大きく見劣りする。

Utilizing diverse human resources should enhance companies’ creativity and improve their competitiveness. Some companies have already started publicizing their numerical targets and expanding on-the-job training for women.
　多様な人材の活用は、企業の創造性を高め、競争力の向上につながるはずだ。既に数値目標を公表し、女性向け研修の拡充などに乗り出した事例もある。

Both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors have passed an additional resolution to the new law that calls for companies to adjust the wage gap between men and women, and implement measures to improve the treatment of non-regular workers.
　新法には、男女の賃金格差の是正や非正規労働者の処遇改善への措置などを求めた付帯決議が、衆参両院で採択された。

A majority of working women are low-wage, non-regular employees, such as part-timers. Improving the treatment of these female workers is essential in making the new law function effectively. The government must push forward a concrete study of this issue.
　働く女性の過半数は、パートなど低賃金の非正規労働者だ。その処遇改善は、新法を有効に機能させる上で欠かせない。政府は具体的な検討を進めるべきだ。

Regarding the promotion of women’s active participation in society, Abe also pointed out that “Our greatest barrier is a working culture that endorses male-centered long working hours.”
　女性の活躍推進について、首相は「最大の壁は、男性中心の長時間労働を是とする働き方文化だ」とも指摘した。

Calling on women also to be actively engaged in work, while leaving most of the household chores and child rearing to them, would only generate resentment among women. It is urgent to review how people work, correcting the long working hours and encouraging men to participate more in household chores and child rearing.
　家事・育児の大半を女性に委ねたまま、「仕事でも活躍を」と求めても、女性の反発を招くだけだ。長時間労働の是正や、男性の家事・育児参加の促進といった働き方の見直しが急務である。

Companies also need to shift to employment management and personnel evaluations that are based on the premise of supporting employees’ work-life balance.
　企業は、仕事と家庭の両立を前提とした雇用管理や人事評価に切り替える必要がある。

There must also be reform of the tax and social insurance system, which presently make it more advantageous for women to be dependent on their spouses than to work outside the home.
　女性が、働くよりも配偶者に扶養される方が有利になる税制や社会保険制度の改革も課題だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 3, 2015)Speech