JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine JANUARY ISSUE 2016 #Issue 14 | Page 15

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Ms. Kazuko Shiraishi
Japanese Ambassador for Women, Human Rights and
Humanitarian Affairs and Ambassador in charge of Arctic Affairs.
KAZUKO SHIRAISHI
女性大使とは
AMBASSADOR FOR WOMEN
JAPAN and the WORLD magazine
presents an exclusive interview
with Ms. Kazuko Shiraishi, Japanese
Ambassador for Women, Human
Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and
Ambassador in charge of Arctic Affairs
about a historical overview of women
struggling for their empowerment
based on her life experience.
JAPAN and the WORLDは女性・人権人道
担当兼北極担当大使の白石和子さんに単
独インタビューし、
自身の経験に基づくエ
ンパワーメント運動で奮闘する女性につ
いて歴史的な経緯などを聞いてみました。
JAPAN AND THE WORLD MAGAZINE
Shiraishi-san, you started your
diplomatic career in 1974 as one of
the very few women entering the
Japanese political field. What made
you undertake such a career path?
When I entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MOFA) it was before the introduction of
the Gender Equality Employment Law. All
companies were allowed to employ only men
or only women. I got an official job offer from
a trading company just before my graduation
from my university. My work offer was to
be an assistant to male colleagues without
any prospect for promotion. I could not
understand why I could only be an assistant to
men with whom I studied the same modules
at university. I thought that it is because of
the reality of Japanese society. Additionally,
I studied Russian so I wanted to use this
language ability in my work. In 1974 I found
a poster on my university campus with a job
offer in the MOFA for men and women. I
applied and successfully enter the Ministry.
There were 4 more women entering the
Ministry at the time with me.
I am the 16th female representative
ambassador in the history of Japan’s Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. The first Ambassador, H.E.
Nobuko Takahashi, was appointed in 1980 to
Denmark. She signed the UN Convention on
the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW).
In 2014 I was the only woman ambassador
posted from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs abroad. However, as for today, there are
10 Japanese women ambassadors. So, there is
a great improvement in that regard.
Your first foreign post was Poland.
How did the experience gained
JANUARY 2016 // 14