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姓を選ぶ自由
国会で夫婦別姓の議論が高まっている。結婚相手の姓にしろ、旧姓にしろ、自分の姓を選ぶのは人間の権利ではないだろうか。妻が別姓を選ぶことは家族崩壊につながるという声もあるが、家族のきずなは女性の姓に左右されるものだろうか…。
Women's Right To Choose a Surname
By CHRISTINE CUNANAN-NOMURA
Many Japanese women have their own opinions on the current dispute in the Diet on allowing spouses to choose their own surname. Some prefer to use their husband's family name while others ― particularly working women ― find it more convenient to retain their single name even after marriage.
Both schools of thought are valid. Women have different needs and expectations and each woman's circumstances must be considered and respected.
Choosing a surname should be an inherent human right. For this reason I totally support the New Party Sakigake and the Social Democratic Party's crusade to change current Japanese laws. If these parties are successful, all Japanese women will be able to choose which name to use legally after marriage.
In contrast, some of the actions and arguments of the more traditional Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) border on the ridiculous.
I find it difficult to believe any argument made by these parliamentarians on such an important issue for today's women. They've never experienced the inconveniences and difficulties related to changing a surname that many women must deal with constantly in the real world. They probably have little inkling of the problems and the situation of ordinary Japanese women. Consequently they are in no position to presume to know what is best for women in this case. Arguments put forward by LDP female Diet members also fail to grasp the depth of the issue and are disappointingly shallow.
In a recent interview, LDP member Sanae Takaichi claimed that allowing spouses to use different surnames will contribute to excessive individualism and weaker family ties. She said that some women may want to use their own name just to avoid having legal ties to their husband's family and shouldering traditional responsibilities such as caring for the elderly bedridden parents-in-law.
I believe that family ties and values are important but these do not hinge on a surname. A responsible woman will manage family affairs to the best of her ability regardless of her surname, while a woman who does not want to be burdened with the same tasks will avoid these even if she is using her husband's name.
Besides, husbands and society in general have an equal role and equal responsibility in enabling the modern Japanese family to exist happily and decently. For lawmakers to assume that forcing wives to use the same surname as their husbands will automatically keep the Japanese family and society together smacks of oversimplicity and male presumptuousness.
If the LDP is really concerned about maintaining family values, it should look toward social education at home, at school and at the workplace rather than at what name a woman uses on her documents.
Many Japanese women have their own opinions on the current dispute in the Diet on allowing spouses to choose their own surname. Some prefer to use their husband's family name while others ― particularly working women ― find it more convenient to retain their single name even after marriage.
Both schools of thought are valid. Women have different needs and expectations and each woman's circumstances must be considered and respected.
Choosing a surname should be an inherent human right. For this reason I totally support the New Party Sakigake and the Social Democratic Party's crusade to change current Japanese laws. If these parties are successful, all Japanese women will be able to choose which name to use legally after marriage.
In contrast, some of the actions and arguments of the more traditional Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) border on the ridiculous.
I find it difficult to believe any argument made by these parliamentarians on such an important issue for today's women. They've never experienced the inconveniences and difficulties related to changing a surname that many women must deal with constantly in the real world. They probably have little inkling of the problems and the situation of ordinary Japanese women. Consequently they are in no position to presume to know what is best for women in this case. Arguments put forward by LDP female Diet members also fail to grasp the depth of the issue and are disappointingly shallow.
In a recent interview, LDP member Sanae Takaichi claimed that allowing spouses to use different surnames will contribute to excessive individualism and weaker family ties. She said that some women may want to use their own name just to avoid having legal ties to their husband's family and shouldering traditional responsibilities such as caring for the elderly bedridden parents-in-law.
I believe that family ties and values are important but these do not hinge on a surname. A responsible woman will manage family affairs to the best of her ability regardless of her surname, while a woman who does not want to be burdened with the same tasks will avoid these even if she is using her husband's name.
Besides, husbands and society in general have an equal role and equal responsibility in enabling the modern Japanese family to exist happily and decently. For lawmakers to assume that forcing wives to use the same surname as their husbands will automatically keep the Japanese family and society together smacks of oversimplicity and male presumptuousness.
If the LDP is really concerned about maintaining family values, it should look toward social education at home, at school and at the workplace rather than at what name a woman uses on her documents.
Shukan ST: June 13, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- surname
- 姓、名字
- current dispute
- 現在の論争
- Diet
- 国会
- spouses
- 配偶者
- prefer to 〜
- 〜 する方を好む
- convenient
- 都合のいい
- retain
- 使い続ける
- single name
- 独身のときの名字
- schools
- 派
- valid
- 妥当な
- expectations
- 期待
- circumstances
- 事情
- must be considered and respected
- 考慮され、尊重されなければならない
- inherent human right
- 生まれながらの人間の権利
- totally
- 全面的に
- support
- 支持する
- New Party Sakigake
- 新党さきがけ
- Social Democratic Party's
- 社民党の
- crusade
- 改革運動
- legally
- 法的に
- In contrast
- 対照的に
- arguments
- 議論
- traditional
- 伝統的な
- Liberal Democratic Party
- 自民党
- border on 〜
- 〜 の一歩手前である
- ridiculous
- ばかばかしいこと
- parliamentarians
- 議員
- issue
- 問題
- related to 〜
- 〜 につきものの
- deal with
- 対処する
- constantly
- 常に
- have little inkling of 〜
- 〜 にほとんど気づいていない
- Consequently
- その結果として
- are in no position to pressure to know 〜
- 〜 がわかるといえるような立場にはいない
- put forward by 〜
- 〜 に打ち出された
- fail to grasp
- 〜 を把握できていない
- disappointingly
- がっかりするほど
- shallow
- 浅薄な
- Sanae Takaichi
- 高市早苗(衆院議員)
- claimed
- 主張した
- contribute to excessive individualism and weaker family ties
- 個人主義が過剰になり、家族の絆が弱まる原因となる
- avoid
- 避ける
- legal ties
- 法的な結びつき
- shouldering になう
- responsibilities
- 責任
- caring for 〜
- 〜 のめんどうを見る
- elderly bedridden parents-in-law
- 高齢で寝たきりの義理の両親
- do not hinge on 〜
- 〜 しだいで決まるわけではない
- manage family affairs to the best of her ability
- 全力をつくして家族のことをとりしきる
- regardless of 〜
- 〜 に関係なく
- be burdened with 〜
- 〜 を背負わされる
- tasks 仕事
- in enabling 〜 to exist happily and decently
- 〜 が幸せかつまともにやっていくために
- lawmakers
- 議員
- assume
- 決め込む
- automatically
- 自動的に
- keep 〜 together
- 〜 を団結させていく
- smacks of 〜
- 〜 の気味がある
- oversimplicity
- 単純化しすぎること
- male presumptousness 男性の押しつけがましさ
- documents
- 書類