IGWS Newsletter Vol. 53

Genderless Uniform Project Completed

The "Genderless Uniform Project" is a major project of the Stereo Remove Section that started in 2022. In recent years, uniforms have become genderless (unisex), but although there are organizations that have thought about designing genderless uniforms, there are not many ones that actually produce genderless uniforms. Therefore, we at the Stereo Remove Section set out to create a genderless uniform that anyone can wear. This year, we actually created three uniform designs that were popular in a survey conducted in 2022.

The three designs of uniforms were exhibited at the 2023 Shukufu-Sai (School Festival), and we also exhibited information and materials about the activities of the Stereo Remove Section since its inception. We showed a video of us wearing Design 1 uniforms as we lived our college life, and it was very popular to see us in real life moving in the uniforms.

Activities of the Stereo Remove Division in 2023

In 2023 we spent a fruitful year with many opportunities for interviews and visits. In June, we welcomed three new members and held a meet-and-greet meeting. As part of the Genderless Uniform Project, we visited Aikodai Meiden High School and talked with the students, and in July we visited Komaki City Hall and talked with the mayor of Komaki. In October, we exhibited the project at the university festival, displaying the results of our activities to date.

We received visits from both inside and outside the university. In July, students from Yokkaichi Municipal Tomisuhara Junior High School visited. In August, we were interviewed by “Fu-shin” the Aichi Shukutoku University supporters' association magazine. In November, students from Nagoya Nishi High School visited us for interviews. In order to create the newsletter, we went to Institute for Gender Studies, Ochanomizu University in September to conduct interviews, and in December, we interviewed President Shimada and exchanged opinions about universal toilets and diversity.

42nd IGWS seminar, "Diversity and Inclusion for Value Creation” Lecturer: Kazuko Nemoto (Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.)

We held the 42nd IGWS seminar on December 15, 2023. For this year's seminar, we invited Ms. Kazuko Nemoto of Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) to speak about efforts to promote diversity and inclusion at companies. At DNP, the president himself sends messages and promotes diversity and inclusion. Everyone is a member of diversity, and not only exists, but is respected and acknowledged as an individual. We once again felt that the idea that promoting diversity and inclusion in this way creates new value for a company and leads to innovation applies not only to companies, but also to the academic field, as well as to society in general.

It has been nearly 40 years since the Equal Employment Opportunity Act was enacted, but DNP is still facing an issue that the proportion of women in senior positions has not increased. We felt that we need to further accelerate our efforts towards gender equality, as we heard that the most common minority within the company is women, and that women are the key to inclusion. Although the word "diversity" has been used for nearly 20 years since the 2000s, the social situation has not changed much, which made us realize once again the magnitude of the challenges we need to overcome.

There is a long road to achieving diversity and inclusion, and students, who will be responsible for the future of society, have a very important role to play. We hope that this seminar will be an opportunity for students to learn about diversity and inclusion. Some of the students who participated in the seminar seemed to hear a business person speak for the first time, so we will continue to provide more opportunities for students to learn about diversity at the new center.

2023 Annual Report of the IGWS

In 2023, a new faculty member (assistant professor) was appointed, and administrative staff were replaced. The Institute of Gender and Women's Studies began its activities with a fresh start.

The main on-campus activities are as followed. Facility tours for new students from April to May, with new students mainly from some departments. Continuing from last year, in June, we held a lecture titled “How to Appear in Your Own Personality.'' In January, We held “Gender Diversity Perspective Graduation Thesis and Graduation Project Debriefing Session,” in which eight students gave presenttions. In addition, the “Hoshigaoka Gender Institute'' was held at the Global Lounge in June and November. Next year, we will put more effort into holding events on the Hoshigaoka Campus to help spread awareness of the new center.

This year, we were also interviewed by the mass media. On July 6th, the Chunichi Shimbun (Nagoya East Edition) featured the Stereo Remove Division's genderless uniform project. On September 11th, Tokai TV's “NEWS ONE'' aired the institute's efforts, focusing on the “Acting Gender-Diversity,'' a subject established by the institute, where students perform a play about gender on the stage. The Stereo Remove Division was featured in the November issue of the Aichi Shukutoku University supporter's magazine,Fu-shin, which enabled students’ parents to know about our institute.

There were also visits to the research institute from outside the university. In addition to the visits handled by the Stereo Remove Division, on December 11, 2023, members of the Fuwa Committee of the Gifu Prefectural Human Rights Protection Committee Ogaki Council visited our institute, and the assistant professor gave a lecture on gender equality and other matters. They learned the current status of women's advancement.

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