contest0011
2000年高知県中学・高校
英語スピーチコンテスト
2000年11月23日
本校の出場者：弘光 桃子（１年９Ｈ）、原 奈央（２年８Ｈ）
Japan, as a Developing Country
by Hara Nao
My grandmother often says, "Behave like a girl." "Girls should do this and that. I always wondered what she meant by that. Recently, what she meant became really clear to me. One day, my brother and I were doing the dishes in the kitchen. My grandmother, who was just passing by, stopped and screamed at my brother, "Shame on you for standing the kitchen!" I realized what she meant was that house work, such as doing dishes, cleaning and so on, are all work only women should do. The 21st century has already started, and we are still facing the very same issue as two centuries ago. What are the differences between men and women? Of course, you can name many differences. However, are those differences reason enough to justify the gender inequality that women have to overcome? While listening to my speech today, I'd like you to ask yourself what we can do to make a difference for this issue, and create a better world.
There are more work opportunities for men than women. Or, simply, we have perceptions that certain jobs should be done by only men and women. For instance, when you see a man in a white uniform in a hospital, you may perceive him as a doctor, but not a nurse. These perceptions and values we have on gender are formed naturally in our everyday lives.
There is no doubt that Japan has been a world leader in economics and technology. On the other hand, according to GEM, which stands for Gender Empowerment Measurement, Japan ranks 34th in 94 countries in terms of the number of women in management positions. For example, the percentage of women in the House of Representatives is less than 5% while the highest percentage of women in the world is 40% in Sweden. This big gap shows the imbalanced ratio of gender in Japanese politics. Unfortunately, Japan is still a developing country in regards to gender equality. There is an old expression: "Women should follow three steps behind men." This traditional idea still exists in Japanese society, and while "traditions" should be respected, they should not be used as excuses for gender discrimination. Because, remember, Japanese women are equally capable of leading Japanese society as Japanese men are.
However, we must admit that there have been many improvements. The struggle for women's rights has won us more rights and freedom than we had in the past. But some women still misunderstand our progress. As a result, social problems such as teenage abortion and prostitution are caused by some women, especially younger generations who abuse their so-called-freedom. Women should learn to make the most of themselves. Before discussing the unfairness between men and women in society, we should learn the history of the women's movement again, because to be equal with men really means to be proud of being a woman, and to respect ourselves.
Finally, I'd like you to picture this situation. A boy and his father are in a car accident. The father dies and the boy is brought to the hospital. The doctor comes in and looks at him and screams, "My son!" How can this be possible? We know the boy's father is dead. The answer is very simple, the doctor is the boy's mother. In order to realize a society where men and women are equal, we have to take many steps forward. Because Japan is still in the process of developing gender equality, we as the young generation have a responsibility to change society. So, let's start making a difference in a society by making a revolution in ourselves.