News Shaping Japan Today
Sexual Harassment in Japan
Article No. 5
Source Article: “Job-hunting apps expose Japanese women to sexual harassment”
In a recent article, it has been reported that job-hunting apps in Japan have exposed women to sexual harassment and left them vulnerable. The job-hunting apps in question allow job-seekers to meet with one-on-one with alumni from their university to receive advice on job prospects. However, these meetings are one-on-one and there is a potentially harmful power dynamic between female job-seekers and male alumni. These factors have presumably contributed to the increased incidents of women being harassed through their use of job-hunting apps. The scale of the issue is currently unknown, as many victims do not come forward with their stories out of fear of humiliation and general societal stigma. This news story speaks to the much broader issue of sexual assault in Japanese society.
Sexual harassment is not a new problem in Japanese society, and although there have been efforts to address the epidemic in the past (e.g. women-only train cars during rush hour, passing of workplace laws, etc.), the issue continues to persist. It is important to note that, of course, and unfortunately, the sexual harassment of women is an issue in countries all over the world, and not just in Japan. It must be said, however, that Japan in particular is a country with a history of social conservatism, where personal privacy is respected and citizens are discouraged from making a scene. In the context of bringing of justice to victims of sexual harassment, Japan’s attitude towards social reform makes closure and retribution difficult to obtain.
The #MeToo movement that gained traction around the world in 2018 saw little responses of activism and support from Japan, although there are women speaking out about their sexual harassment demanding justice to bring attention to the taboo issue. In 2018, a Japanese survivor of sexual assault, Shiori Ito, went public with her story and disclosed that although she was raped, her attacker was never arrested and her case was dropped. Ito says prosecutors cited lack of evidence, despite what she says is security camera footage of her being dragged from a taxi to the hotel, witness statements testifying to her being unconscious, and DNA from her underwear that matched her alleged attacker. By bringing these injustices to the public, Ito aims to be part of what will hopefully become a healthier and safer environment for survivors to speak up.
Brave survivors like Ito who speak out against sexual violence are a powerful force in bringing much-needed reform to Japanese sexual harassment prevention and prosecution efforts, albeit slowly. In many instances of sexual assault, bringing justice to victims is difficult and messy. Yet despite the obstacles that are often involved with proving offenders guilty, it is important nonetheless to never give up or ignore victim seeking justice, as the act itself of supporting them, believing them, and working to convict the offender provides closure for the victim, no matter how much.
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