Discrimination against Women in the Enterprise Society

In Japanese society there remain many forms of traditional discrimination against women. Especially,in equality between men and women in enterprises occupies a crucial role in society. Abolishment of discrimination against women in enterprises is an important issue which Japanesesociety should grapple with. This paper discusses the question of discriminationagainst women in enterprises in the wider social perspective,since the inequality between men and women must be considered in the context of more complex social power politics. First of all,this paper presents the actual examples of discriminationagainst women in the process of job hunting and during their employment. Secondly,it points out the labor management policy of the business world as a deliberately programmed factor of the discriminationagainst women and analyzes "Japanese Way of Management" in the New Era (1995) by Japan Federation of Employers' Associations as its latest manifestation. Thirdly,it examines the shift of American economic andmilitary policies after the breakdown of the USSR as a major influence on reorganization of discrimination against women in Japanese society in the 1990s. For example, it is clear that the new American policies have triggered the latest development of labor policy affirmed by the three consecutive Summits since the Tokyo Summit. Fourthly,it illustrates how Japanese government and business world follow and promote the new American policies,which have induced overseas dispatch of the Japanese "Self-Defence Force" and the"Structural Reformation" of Japanese economy. Fifthly,however,it calls attention to the strengthening ofreverse trend in economic and military policies of Japan,Europe,developingcountries,as well as USA herself. Finally,based upon the above discussed perspectives to consider discrimination against women in Japanese enterprises,it raises questions as to theoretical problems of capitalisticsystem and patriarchy.