Regarding the May 16 Kyodo article "Ministry to urge employers to hire more women": I feel the motive here is incorrect. Instead of taking up this initiative to "improve [women's] employment conditions", the labor ministry should make efforts to acknowledge the value that women can add to the nation's workforce and a company's capability to do better business.
Respect and ability — not sympathy — should be the driving factors to promote women to senior positions. Even though the measures are said to be part of the government's economic revival strategy, those of us who have been in Japan long enough know very well how many times in the past Japan has actually converted their "strategy" on this matter into real action.
It is indeed very surprising that a so-called developed nation like Japan fails to realize the impact of ignoring women in the workplace and how much harm such a bias is doing to the future of a country struggling under global economic pressures.
All over the world, even in comparatively conservative countries like India, women leaders are showing the world the impact they can have on business and global economics. When will Japan actually rise up and question its inability to utilize the talented and enterprising female workforce that it has at its disposal?
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.