Anger grows in Japan at gender inequality ad

2021-03-24 15:41:01 GMT2021-03-24 23:41:01(Beijing Time) Sina English

AFP

People cross a bridge covered with cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo on Wednesday.

An online advertisement featuring a woman saying the debate over gender equality is outdated has sparked furore in Japan for being sexist, a month after an outcry over sexist comments by the former Olympics organizing chief saw him step down.

In the advertisement, released on Monday to promote an evening TV news program, a woman speaks about her day in a chatty manner to the camera and says “when you see some politician campaigning for ‘gender equality’ like a slogan — it feels so outdated, don’t you think?”

On Twitter users said: “The cowardice of having a woman say that ‘gender equality is outdated.’ You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Opposition lawmaker Mizuho Fukushima tweeted: “I can’t understand how anyone can make an advert saying that gender equality is outdated in an age when we are trying to change” the difficulties of living in Japan as a woman.

TV Asahi, which released the advert, said it had intended to convey it was time to take concrete action on achieving gender equality rather than just talking about it.

“We take it seriously that there were people who were offended by this advert, and extend our apologies to them,” the broadcaster said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that it had taken the advertisement down.

Japan ranks 121 of 153 countries on the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap Index.

| PRINT | RSS