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レイプに同情的な日本の政治家?
大学生による集団レイプ事件をきっかけに
政治家による性差別的な発言が相次いだ…。
Pro-rape politicians? Only in Japan
Rape is a serious crime in most countries, but apparently not so in Japan. At least that is the impression one gets from recent statements by certain senior Japanese politicians. Mr. Seiichi Ota, a member of the Diet, said that young men who commit gang rape are "virile," and that he considered them "rather normal." Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda was then quoted as saying that many rape victims were "asking for it."
I myself have lived in Japan for 30 years. I read the newspapers and watch TV, and so naturally I have come to assume that the only people who commit rape in Japan are American soldiers.
Imagine my surprise then, when members of a Japanese group associated with Waseda University were arrested recently on gang-rape charges. Fortunately Mr. Ota and Mr. Fukuda sprang to their defense, implying in their arguments that cases of rape between Japanese are somehow more acceptable than those involving barbarian foreigners.
The rape victims in the news were university students, but experts say molestation and statutory rape are commonplace in junior and senior high schools across Japan. But the victims rarely come forward.
Women are told that if they talk about it to anyone else, they are going to be tainted for the rest of their lives. Even when the molesters are identified and caught, they seldom get more than a slap on the wrist. The attitude seems to be "boys will be boys."
Mr. Fukuda was also quoted as saying that women with a "provocative ... appearance are at fault because men are black panthers." If you have seen Mr. Fukuda on TV, you will realize he is no black panther.
The irony doesn't stop there. Not only is he the chief spokesman for the Japanese government, but he is also the minister in charge of gender equality. It is as though Adolph Hitler were put in charge of improving race relations.
In most countries, these crackpot statements would be tantamount to political suicide. Any politician who defended rapists and blamed their victims would be out of a job. But will Mr. Ota and Mr. Fukuda be re-elected? Of course. Will many women vote for them? Probably. This is Japan, and it is a little different from other countries.
According to a recent report by the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), Japanese women's participation in society ranked 44th in the world, one of the worst among industrialized countries. The ranking is based on many factors, including the number of female politicians, and the ratio of women having senior posts in the private and public sectors. Japan lagged far behind in all categories.
Will Japanese women demand more equal treatment? Will they organize and use their votes to throw sexist politicians out of office? Will they take more control from bureaucrats, doctors and the other male "experts" who are running their lives? Maybe someday, but don't hold your breath.
Shukan ST: Aug. 1, 2003
(C) All rights reserved
- Pro-rape
- レイプを支持する
- serious crime
- 重大犯罪
- impression one gets from recent statements
- 最近の発言から受ける印象
- member of the Diet
- 国会議員
- gang rape
- 集団レイプ
- virile
- 元気がある
- rather normal
- 正常に近い
- Chief Cabinet Secretary
- 官房長官
- victims
- 被害者
- (were)"asking for it"
- 自ら招いていた
- have come to assume that 〜
- 〜だと思うようになった
- 〜 associated with 〜
- 〜に関係した〜
- charges
- 容疑
- sprang to their defense
- 飛び出してきて彼らのために弁明した
- implying
- におわせて
- arguments
- 主張
- those
- レイプのこと
- barbarian
- 野蛮な
- experts
- 専門家
- molestation
- 性的いたずら
- statutory
- 法的に罰せられる
- commonplace
- よくあること
- come forward
- 名乗り出る
- be tainted
- 傷つく
- rest of their lives
- その後一生
- molesters
- 性犯罪者
- seldom get more than 〜
- 〜以上の罰を受けることはめったにない
- slap on the wrist
- 軽い罰
- boys will be boys
- 男だから仕方がない
- provocative
- 挑発的な
- appearance
- 格好
- are at fault
- 悪い
- because men are black panthers
- 男は黒ヒョウなんだから
- irony
- 皮肉なこと
- chief spokesman for the Japanese government
- 政府を代表する広報担当者
- minister in charge of gender equality
- 男女共同参画担当大臣
- were put in charge of improving race relations
- 人種関係の改善を任される
- crackpot
- 常軌を逸した
- tantamount to 〜
- 〜も同然
- rapists
- レイプ犯
- out of a job
- 職を失う
- be re-elected
- 再選する
- U.N. Development Program(UNDP)
- 国連開発計画
- participation in society
- 社会参加
- ratio
- 割合
- senior posts
- 上級職
- private and public sectors
- 民間・公的部門
- lagged
- 立ち遅れた
- far behind
- かなり
- throw 〜 out of office
- 〜を落選させる
- sexist
- 性差別主義の
- bureaucrats
- 官僚
- don't hold your breath
- あまり期待しないように