Toward Achieving Gender Equality: Using the "Gender Issues Chart" to Gain an Overview of the Problems Alongside the Facts

On March 8, International Women's Day, Dentsu Diversity Lab—Dentsu Inc.'s specialized DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) organization—released the "Gender Issue Chart," a tool designed to support idea generation. This is one initiative aimed at addressing gender gap issues. a tool called the "Gender Issue Chart" to support idea generation. . According to the ," Japan ranked 120th out of 156 countries (as of March 2021), placing it last among G7 nations. Furthermore, wage gap between men and women ranks Japan third worst among all 38 OECD member countries (as of 2020) (*1). Addressing the gender gap is undoubtedly one of the major challenges facing Japanese society.

Therefore, this time we interviewed Ms. Yuki Kuniomi and Ms. Kahori Kishimoto, members of Dentsu Inc. Diversity Lab, which released the Gender Issues Chart. We asked them about the background behind developing the "Gender Issues Chart" and effective ways to utilize it.

"Gender equality" is a crucial perspective that directly impacts corporate value itself. We hope this article serves as a reference, and that utilizing the "Gender Issues Chart" will provide an opportunity to reassess your company's current status, future initiatives, and spark meaningful discussions.

The "Gender Issues Chart" provides an overview of gender gap issues alongside quantitative facts.

Q. Today, I believe efforts toward gender equality serve as a vital guideline supporting corporate growth and sustainability for any company. On the other hand, some may feel, "I know we must address this, but I don't know the specific issues involved," or "My understanding of the problem is vague; I don't know what exactly to change or how." Others might find it difficult to personalize the issue. Against this backdrop, what motivated the development of the "Gender Issues Chart"?

Kishimoto: There are three main points. First, in recent years, inquiries and consultations about gender-related matters have increased significantly from various sources, including companies and local governments. While Dentsu Inc. has expertise in this area, the information wasn't centralized. Each time we received an inquiry, the person handling it had to gather information from scratch.This meant responses took time, and the quality of information provided varied depending on the staff member. Given this situation, we thought compiling a "collection of facts and data on gender issues" that could be provided immediately upon inquiry would enable faster responses and help more people. This led to the initiative to create a chart offering an overview across various themes.

The second point is that gender issues are often perceived as "personal feelings." For example, one gender issue is "women get less sleep." Women striving to balance work and household duties face many tasks, resulting in shorter sleep times and making it difficult to maintain their health.However, even when hearing about this theme, many people might dismiss it as a personal lifestyle choice, thinking, "Isn't this just an issue for a small group of high-achieving women?" or "Surely full-time homemakers are different?" and fail to recognize it as a problem requiring societal solutions. Yet, from a macro perspective, OECD research reveals a fact: "Japanese women have the shortest average sleep duration among surveyed countries (as of 2021)" (※2).

There is also the fact that women are more likely to experience harassment in public spaces. Some might think, "I hardly know anyone around me who has experienced that." However, data from the #WeToo Japan survey reveals that "70% of women have experienced some form of harassment on trains or streets."Such experiences, even when they involve unpleasant or frightening feelings, are often difficult to share with others and surface, making it hard to recognize them as "problems society should confront." Thus, we wanted to visualize that these are not "individual women's subjective problems," but "problems facing Japanese society as a whole," by layering "quantitative facts" onto "qualitatively perceived issues."

The third point is that around March 8th, International Women's Day, it's becoming a common trend for companies both domestically and internationally to make statements or take actions regarding social issues affecting women. Our own awareness as corporate employees that we must visualize our own initiatives also contributed to the decision to release this "Gender Issues Chart."

Kunitomi: While experts and those interested in gender-related topics have access to information, it feels difficult to foster an atmosphere where everyone feels confident discussing gender issues. Yet these are matters everyone should understand. For those who will lead business in the future, I believe this knowledge should be standard equipment.

On social media, we see situations where people actively voicing concerns about issues women face are mockingly labeled "feminists." Gender-related topics often get trapped in this binary opposition between supporters and opponents. Yet, objectively examining the facts might change perceptions and opinions about the issues, or spark dialogue that moves beyond this binary.I want to explore ways to approach gender issues without reducing them to binary opposition or division.

Thinking from another's perspective opens doors to solutions

Q. Who do you hope will use this "Gender Issues Chart," and how?

Kishimoto: First, I hope people will read through it. I want both women and non-women to recognize the existence of women in various situations.

After all, "women" encompasses a diverse group of people. Some are married, others are not. Some have children, others do not. Some work, others do not. The world each sees is completely different depending on their situation and position. Rather than lumping everyone together simply because they are women, I hope people will understand that women exist in various situations and positions, and strive to understand the world as seen from each of their perspectives as much as possible.

As a second step, I'd like you to identify the problems these women face and consider what solutions might exist for them. This "Gender Issues Chart" is designed to provide an overview of all gender-related problems at a glance. This is because gender issues rarely occur in isolation; they are often complexly intertwined. Focusing on just one problem and trying to solve it with a single product or service seems a bit simplistic.By viewing women's lives not as isolated points but as interconnected facets, truly grasping the problems they face within that context, and then considering solutions—this approach may be long-term, but I believe it leads to more fundamental problem-solving.

Kunitomi: By considering the multifaceted nature of the current situation, our actions may change, potentially bringing us closer to gender equality. We hope that discussing specific themes from the "Gender Issues Chart" can serve as a catalyst for change.

For example, there's the issue that "Japan has a low vaccination rate for vaccines that prevent cervical cancer and other diseases (HPV vaccines)." It may not be widely known, but according to a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare survey shows that Japan's HPV vaccination rate is a mere 1.9% (for those who completed the three-dose series in fiscal year 2019). So why is Japan's rate so low? I hope this sparks various discussions.

We particularly hope those who find it difficult to relate to the problem personally will read and reflect. This is because we hear that corporate managers often face various concerns. When male managers struggle to understand their female subordinates, we believe this stems not only from individual knowledge gaps but also from societal structures where men are often supervisors and women are subordinates, coupled with insufficient sex education.

Gaining proper knowledge about women's health and reproductive health/rights holds the potential to resolve management issues. Understanding how women's physical conditions change during pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, what transformations occur with age, and what responses are required from companies and management – comprehensively grasping these topics might lead to solutions for communication problems within companies. And perhaps, "taking an interest and learning" could be the key to resolving their own management concerns. I hope they come to feel that way.

The problems women face are also the flip side of the problems men face

Q. Indeed, issues for women often simultaneously represent "problems for men who, unaware of them, struggle without solutions." I strongly agree that current decision-makers and managers within companies should see this.

Kishimoto: When we say "gender," it's often perceived as "women's issues." If that happens, it becomes something only women can speak about, something only women can understand. However, these are not problems faced solely by women, nor can they be solved by women alone. Since they are societal issues, I believe both women and non-women should take an interest, gain knowledge, and keep thinking about them together.

I want to keep advocating that it's not about "someone being at fault" or "someone being the enemy," but that everyone must take ownership and work together to bring about change.

Kunitomi: We often hear the term "women's empowerment," but professions like "childcare workers," "nurses," and especially "elementary school teachers" within the teaching field have a high proportion of women. It's said that "women working in non-regular employment" are three times as many as men. Beyond the workplace, many also perform unpaid labor like housework, childcare, and eldercare. In other words, they are constantly active in society.

Why then is there this call to "promote women's participation in the workforce from now on"? Is our society truly lacking in women's participation? Or is it simply a society where men's participation is more easily visible? These were the kinds of questions I pondered while creating the Gender Issues Chart.

At the same time, I want us to think together about what kind of society would truly allow women to feel they are actively contributing.

Kishimoto: Many gender issues are problems men face too, and perhaps the very concept of "gender" itself is gradually becoming outdated. Even so, "gender equality" remains one of the major themes among numerous social issues, and it's a fact that many people suffer or feel constrained because this problem remains unresolved.

The "Gender Issues Chart" is just one "entry point," but I hope such entry points can become catalysts for progress across Japanese society as a whole.

Amid the spread of SDGs and ESG investing, addressing gender-related issues both within and outside companies is becoming crucial for corporate survival. At the same time, it's undeniable that Japan lags behind globally in this area.

One major cause of gender-related problems is likely that "they are not recognized as problems." Looking at this "Gender Issues Chart," you can see that the problems exist as facts. Recognizing a problem as a problem requires "emotional empathy," but "knowing it as an objective fact" can also be a significant step toward changing society.

Furthermore, this interview highlighted that behind the "problems women face" lie "problems men face" as well. Simultaneously, it is an undeniable fact that some people feel discomfort with the very binary categorization of "women" and "men." Unless everyone takes an interest and confronts these issues, the path to resolution will remain distant.Those who feel these issues "don't apply to them" should strive to understand the other person's perspective and truly put themselves in their shoes. This mindset is crucial not only for gender-related issues but for solving any problem.

※1 The rankings for the "Gender Gap Index" and "Gender Pay Gap" are as of the time of writing (May 2022). Data for the 2022 "Gender Gap Index" is scheduled to be published on the World Economic Forum website at the end of June 2022.

※2 Source: OECD " Gender Data Portal 2021 "