Japan: Man sues Fukuoka women-only university after application to study nutrition is rejected

Submitted by Mastodon on Wed, 2014-11-26 07:00

Story here. Excerpt:

'A man in his 20s who was rejected after applying to a women-only university where he planned to study nutrition is suing the college for gender discrimination.

In what is believed to be the first case in Japan challenging the constitutionality of a publicly run women’s university, the man is seeking a verdict from the courts that would allow him to take an entrance exam at Fukuoka Women’s University, according to a lawyer representing the man.

“Not allowing men to take the exam violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which proclaims equality before the law,” the man, whose identity has not been revealed, was quoted by the Asahi Shimbun as saying. He is also seeking ¥500,000 in damages.

A lawyer representing him is arguing that women-only colleges are no longer relevant and discriminate against men.

In the past, women’s universities had the role of giving preferential treatment to women who had fewer opportunities for education, but that role is no longer necessary,” he said.

Earlier this month, the plaintiff applied to the department of food and health sciences at the university for a course that would result in a dietitian’s license, a nationally recognized qualification.

Fukuoka Women’s University was the only public institution in the area to offer the course, and the young man could not afford to apply to a private college, the Asahi reported.
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An education ministry official in charge of university entrance examinations told reporters: “Each university has the right to set exam conditions and establish goals for the kind of education they offer.”

Japan’s record on gender equality is not good, with its highly-educated women vastly underemployed amid charges of entrenched and institutionalized sexism.'

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A further example is denying entry to a university to a male because of his sex. It'd be one thing if this were a private school, but it isn't. The plaintiff is paying to be discriminated against through his taxes, whether income, sales, or any other kind.

While Japanese women are so much more likely to have advanced college degrees than men, indeed, they are s lot less likely to utilize them at a job. Insisting this is due solely to Japanese society is misleading at least, and misrepresentation of the entire picture at worst.

Japanese men are expected at every turn to fulfill a rigid gender-based role that denies them the same opportunities their female relatives get. They have one of two principal tracks they can pursue in life: Some type of work, very often to an unhealthful degree of excess (or face ridicule and punishment from their colleagues and superiors), or enter a religious calling. The socially-acceptable option if a man staying home to take care if children or to "allow" his spouse to pay for his higher education, or his folks to do likewise, isn't there for him. In addition, the Japanese Con'n, which the US gave them after WWII and which was written by a small group of grad students in gov't and political science studies, gives Japanese women the power to divorce their husbands at any time by filing a form at the local gov't office. That is all it takes. She has immediate claim to half (or more) of his pension, etc., and also half of their property. Children almost always are given to the ex-wife; custody hearings are perfunctory.

But to be fair, it's not too much different here in the US, except for in our case, a divorce actually requires jumping through hoops some. As for women at work, there are now more American women in the US workforce than men. But surveys consistently show US women would, if they thought they could do it, rather stay home and raise kids. If married, they are 90% likely to get custody of the kids (nearly 100% if mom didn't work before and has no significant parenting defects, such as serious mental illness/drug addiction/serious criminality. In short, suburban housefraus get the kids while dad pays alimony ("spousal support") for usually 1/3 of the length of the marriage, and more under the right conditions, and she gets the child support payments (joint custody is getting more common, but in those cases, the parent with "primary residency" gets the child support -- guess who typically gets "primary residency"?)

Many US women express unhappiness/frustration at the fact there are so few "good men" left, or that they *have* to work to make ends meet. Well as for the first complaint, perhaps the criteria they're using is unrealistic/outdated. After all, if a woman is seeking a man who can support her and her kids (since really, "their" kids are actually hers), as intelligent as she is (roughly), has the body and face she finds attractive, has no habits/hobbies/friends she just can't live with, and finally, will be unswervingly devoted to her and support whatever decision(s) *she* makes in future. If for example to start they both work and later after getting married, she decides she wants to *choose* to stay home instead of work, she'd expect her dear hubby to concur and support her by going along w/ it, even if she makes a fair bit more than he does. Happens all the time.

As for the second issue: Join the club.

But yeah, institutionalized sexism is very entrenched in Japan. As for why women aren't pushing harder to get into the workforce? Well, why bother, when you have the kind of deal they are getting? Room, board, high education, kids, and a golden parachute any time you want to pull the cord. Not bad, huh?

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Submitted by Matt on Wed, 2014-11-26 18:06