85% of women would want management positions if not for "family constraints"! What's the truth?

2022年11月14日

もし「家庭の制約」なければ...管理職希望する女性85％！生の声は？...「なりたくないのではない！」「管理職の代償が子どもにかかるのは悲し過ぎる」（家庭の制約の条件がなければ）26.5％にとどまることを考えると、女性にとって家庭の制約が、管理職希望の大きな妨げになっていることは間違いありません」本来は管理職への登用は実力で判断されるものであり性別は関係ありません。しかし、仕事と家庭の両立は女性が行うもの、という性別役割分業意識を改める必要があります。そうしないと、実力の前に女性の管理職希望そのものが不公平な形で歪められてしまうのだと思います。(English) 85% of women would want management positions if not for "family constraints"! What's the truth? It's not that they don't want to be! It is too sad that the price of a managerial position is the burden placed on the children. Although they consider that only 26.5% (without family conditions), there is no doubt that family constraints constitute a significant obstacle for women wanting to be in management positions. Promotion to management positions should be judged on merit, and gender had nothing to do with it. However, there is a need to change the gender-role division of labor mindset, which holds that women are responsible for balancing work and family life. Otherwise, I believe women's aspirations for management positions will be unfairly distorted before their abilities.

85% of women would want management positions if not for "family constraints"! What's the truth?

It's not that they don't want to be!
It is too sad that the price of a managerial position is the burden placed on the children.

Japanese companies are making slow progress in promoting women to management positions.

According to the "Gender Gap Index" released by the World Economic Forum in July 2022, Japan ranked 116th out of 146 countries.

Some have pointed out that "many Japanese women do not want to be in management positions in the first place," but what does the truth say?

According to a survey, "85% of women would like to hold managerial positions if their families did not restrict them."

The survey was released in October 2022 by JOB Research Institute, a research organization investigating the realities and genuine feelings of working homemakers.

What are the "key points to increasing the number of women in management positions," as revealed by the women's honest opinions?"

The number of respondents wishing to hold "50%" of managerial positions, exceeding the government's target of "30%" for women in executive positions, is the highest.

In 2003, the government set a goal of "expecting the ratio of women in leadership positions to be at least 30% by 2020."

However, 19 years later, the percentage of women in managerial positions in private companies with 100 or more regular workers will be only 12.4% in 2021.

First, in the "Survey on Attitudes toward Women in Management Positions," women to work were asked if they had ever worked in a managerial position.

23.8% answered "Yes."

76.2% answered "No."

The "managerial position" was defined as "a person in charge of a team with one or more subordinates," but only about one in four respondents had ever held such a position.

Next, respondents were asked if they "hope to be in a managerial position."

Yes (1.8%)

Yes, depending on the conditions. (24.7%)

These two combined accounted for 26.5%, about one in four respondents' intention to "hope" to be in a managerial position.

Then, the government set a target of "30% women in management positions," and we asked, "What percentage of women in management positions do you think is appropriate?"

The most common answer was "around 50%" (29.7%).

Don't know (24.0%)

About 40% (16.4%)

About 30% (16.1%)

The most significant number of respondents desired an "equal number of men and women," exceeding the government target of 30%.

Many hope to "create an atmosphere in which it is easy to continue working after marriage and childbirth."

How can we increase the number of female managers?

The following are the survey results in which multiple responses were accepted.

Create an atmosphere where it is easy to continue working after marriage and childbirth (77.0%)

Introduce a system in which pay is based on performance rather than hours worked (47.7%)

Increase the number of jobs that allow telecommuting (38.6%)

Increase the number of female managers (34.2%)

Give more responsibility to women (28.0%)

It seems essential to create an environment and system that facilitates work for women burdened with housework and childcare.

We then asked, "If you could spend 100% of your time on work without family restrictions after marriage or childbirth, would you prefer to be in a managerial position?"

I would prefer to be in a managerial position (20.4%)

I would like to be in a managerial position under certain conditions (64.6%)

Combining the two, more than 80% (85.0%) said they would like to be in a manager role.

The results show that many women want to be in managerial positions without "family restrictions."

The free comments are as follows.

10)

First, I think about how to balance work and family.

Those who can afford to manage outside of the home are truly amazing in their own right.

However, I think there are more opportunities for women to be societal leaders than in the past.

It would be good if we could change the mindset from a young age that it is normal for women to be on top and to continue working. (the 40s: not working now)

11)

I also think that if I get a managerial position, the price will be paid by my children.

The idea that they can stay home alone at night is too sad because they are in the upper grades of elementary school.

If more companies considered the influence of children, the ratio would be higher. (the 50s: part-time worker)

A woman who is excellent, motivated, and capable should be selected for management positions more and more. (the 40s: freelance/self-employed)

12)

The hours of management positions are too long.

There are still men who seriously say that women with children, shorter working hours, etc., are not allowed to hold management positions" (the 40s: contract employee)

Married women cannot hold managerial positions even if they want to if the division of household chores and childcare at home is not going well.

I think raising men's awareness of the division of household chores and childcare at home is also necessary. (the 40s: part-time worker)

13)

I think the working environment for women will improve if there are more female managers. (the 50s: not working at present)

A system is needed for women to become managers if they want to. (the 30s: dispatched worker)

I don't think the number of female managers will increase unless we solve the problem of "managers = long working hours." (the 40s: freelance/self-employed)

14)

Keitaro Kawakami, the research advisor to JOB Research Institute, commented on the results of this survey.

Would you prefer to be in a managerial position if you use 100% of your time for work without family restrictions after marriage or childbirth?

85.0% responded they would like to.

They are considering that only 26.5% (without that condition), there is no doubt that family constraints constitute a significant obstacle for women wanting to be in management positions.

15)

Before, we thought that one of the primary reasons why the ratio of women in management positions has not increased is that women do not want to be in management positions.

However, it seems that the main reason why women do not want to be in management positions in the first place is because of the restrictions imposed by their families.

16)

Promotion to management positions should be judged on merit, and gender had nothing to do with it.

However, there is a need to change the gender-role division of labor mindset, which holds that women are responsible for balancing work and family life.

Otherwise, I believe women's aspirations for management positions will be unfairly distorted before their abilities.