What does it take to get Japanese women to ‘Lean In’ and take a more active role in the workplace? How can Japan start to change attitudes so that the approximately 80% of female students surveyed at some major Japanese universities no longer say they expect to become housewives after graduation?
For Rena Suzuki, co-founder and leader of the Lean In Tokyo circle, the best approach is to try to change the individual mindset of members, to support and give them confidence to change things from the bottom up and demand their rights. Even though the Abe government has enacted policies that are family-friendly on paper, the drive for change needs to come from individuals.
Rena started Lean In Tokyo last year after about three years of working for foreign banks in Singapore and Tokyo, which showed her how women face uphill struggles in the workplace. She now works at a start-up in Tokyo, where she sees strong social norms still hindering female progress. She’ll talk about her individual experiences and what action Japanese women need to take.
Catering
FEW Monthly Meetings are catered by well-known gourmet food company Kiwi Kitchen. Based on providing healthy, delicious food from all corners of the globe, Kiwi Kitchen delivers gourmet meals and provides catering services for businesses and international schools, office functions and meetings, cocktail parties, BBQs and other functions requiring food delivered on-site within Tokyo Metropolitan area. The company also operates a cafe in Shirokane, right on Platinum dori, less than 10mins walk from Shirokanedai station.