What are the "questionable norms" working women face in the workplace? (Part 2)

This series features members of the Sustainability Consulting Office atDentsu Inc., which supports companies in creating sustainable business, interviewing opinion leaders in this field. In the fifth installment, Mr. Takayuki Fukushima from the Sustainability Consulting Office interviews Ms . Ai Kawaguchi, Editor-in-Chief of NewsPicks for WE at NewsPicks Studios. In Part 1, she discussed sustainable work practices from the perspective of women's advancement and challenges in organizational management. In Part 2, we explore essential perspectives for corporate sustainable management and the " WE CHANGE AWARDS 2025," held in conjunction with International Women's Day.

Commitment from management is essential to changing corporate culture

Fukushima: More companies are now adopting purposes centered on sustainable management and inclusive work practices. Traditional social structures often failed to sufficiently consider women's perspectives, leading to various challenges—from physical issues like the lack of women's restrooms in the workplace to softer issues like management teams being predominantly male, creating few environments where women feel comfortable seeking advice. Do you know of any examples where companies recognized these "questionable norms" and brought about change?

Kawaguchi: With the ongoing decline in the working population, traditional work practices like long working hours are unsustainable. Many men also find the lifestyle where they are the sole breadwinner supporting the family difficult to live with.

Many companies are focusing on and correcting these structural problems. Among them , Recruit stands out as a groundbreaking example for redefining managerial requirements. The company identified the previously tacit and inconsistently applied criteria for managerial roles. Together with its business units and the DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) department, they explicitly documented the competencies and behaviors expected of managers. Put simply, they clarified that long working hours or attending drinking parties are not necessarily requirements for management. By making these points clear and defining "what abilities should truly be required of leaders?", the company saw an increase in both female and male managers. This, I felt, captures the essence of sustainable work practices.

Fukushima: That's groundbreaking. In such initiatives, I believe the level of commitment from the executive and management layers is crucial. What are your thoughts?

Kawaguchi: Absolutely. Journalist Keiko Hamada once said, "Promoting DEI is about culture more than systems, and leadership more than culture." For example, some companies have leave systems like menstrual leave, but the systems are implemented before the actual culture follows. Why doesn't a culture that makes taking leave easy develop? Often, it's because the top leadership's directives aren't effectively communicated. I also believe top-level commitment is extremely important.

I often receive questions from corporate DEI officers asking, "How can we motivate our managers and executives?" In such cases, I advise them to persuade through evidence-based arguments. Companies prioritizing DEI and women's advancement are demonstrating tangible results in sales, stock prices, and other metrics.

Fukushima: While it's challenging to transform large organizations like corporations overnight, I think it's possible to start small—perhaps with teams of four or five people—and gradually bring about change. What kinds of approaches can be considered for fostering sustainable work practices within small teams?

Kawaguchi: Increasing communication volume is key. When women return from maternity leave, they sometimes fall into the "mommy track" – being removed from positions of responsibility against their wishes to make balancing work and childcare easier. According to the "Survey on Career Awareness Among Millennial Couples with Children (2022)" by the 21st Century Occupational Foundation, many women who escaped the mommy track cited increased communication with their manager as the reason: "communicating their needs to their supervisor" or "receiving proactive support from their supervisor." Since supervisors are often making these adjustments with good intentions, it's crucial to communicate clearly about how much challenging work an employee can handle and what kind of work arrangements they prefer. This is especially vital in smaller teams. Personally, I make a point of having thorough 1-on-1 discussions within my own team.

Honoring individuals and companies driving fundamental societal change

Fukushima: I understand you'll be holding an award ceremony in 2025 to promote changes in social structures. Could you tell us more about this award?

Kawaguchi: Aligned with International Women's Day, we plan to hold the inaugural "WE CHANGE AWARDS 2025" on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. With only five years remaining until the government's target of "30% female managers by 2030," current progress suggests this goal may be difficult to achieve. We planned this award to accelerate implementation.

The "WE CHANGE AWARDS" feature two categories: Individual and Corporate. They recognize individuals and companies driving fundamental change in DEI and women's advancement. The Individual category honors next-generation female leaders. We aim to discover women who could become board members by 2030, as well as women who are making significant contributions despite limited media exposure.

For the corporate category, while the 30% female management ratio is a benchmark, we want to feature companies that are genuinely taking action, not just chasing numerical targets. We want to hear from companies that have achieved DEI progress, but we especially want to recognize those that are diligently working towards it right now.

This award isn't about top-down praise; it's "OUR"D, chosen from "us." While we held a one-off event last year, we want to continue the "WE CHANGE AWARDS" at least until 2030.

Fukushima: The launch of the "WE CHANGE AWARDS" is a major topic, but what do you plan to focus on going forward with "NewsPicks for WE"?

Kawaguchi: Two things. First, based on the voices captured by "NewsPicks for WE," we want to make proposals to the government for changing social structures. Second, we want to expand this activity nationwide. Currently, we're focused on urban areas, but after 2025, we aim to expand into regional areas as well.

Eventually, we also want to find a term to replace "women's empowerment." As a media outlet, it would be interesting if we could discover other words that contribute to closing the gender gap.

Fukushima: Dentsu Inc. would also like to assist with that. While many companies now proclaim their purpose, some still lack the state where every employee can articulate it in their own words. To create a future that excites everyone, where anyone can express it in their own words, Dentsu Inc.'s creators could help with verbalization and storytelling. By visualizing an inclusive future and sustainable ways of working, we hope to spark change in the current social structure.

Entering its fifth year in 2025, "NewsPicks for WE" is committed to taking concrete actions to genuinely change society. The "WE CHANGE AWARDS 2025" is the first step in this journey. The event will be streamed online at a later date, so please be sure to check it out.