香山リカのココロの万華鏡:「女性ならでは」の意味 ／東京

September 14, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: The meaning of a 'perspective unique to women'
香山リカのココロの万華鏡:「女性ならでは」の意味　／東京

The new Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was launched on Sept. 3. He appointed a record-tying five women to ministerial positions, and has established a new post -- minister in charge of promoting women's active participation. He told a news conference that he hopes the new women ministers make creative changes from a "perspective unique to women." I think the latest ministerial appointment reflects the prime minister's policies on encouraging women in the workforce.
　第２次安倍改造内閣が発足した。女性閣僚は過去最多の５人、新たに「女性活躍担当相」も置かれることになり、安倍晋三首相は記者会見で「女性ならではの目線で旋風を巻き起こしてほしい」と語った。「輝く女性応援会議」を開催するなど、女性の活用に積極的な首相ならではの人事だと思う。

In addition, the Cabinet Office has recently invited women of different ages to a meeting to discuss women's participation in the workplace.

But what I don't quite understand is what Prime Minister Abe means by a "perspective unique to women."
　ただここで気になるのは、首相の言う「女性ならでは」とはどういう意味だろう、ということだ。

Abe's wife First Lady Akie talked passionately about "peace-making from a women's perspective" at a seminar last year in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, which was hosted by a local women's group. She went on to say, "Women are straightforward, driven by their instincts. Men want to rationalize themselves."
　首相自身の発言ではないが、夫人の昭恵さんは昨年、山口県下関市で行われた女性団体主催の講演で「女性ならではの平和の作り方をしていきたい」と意気込みを語った。同じ講演では「私のように直感で一直線にいけるのが女性。理屈が必要なのが男性」とも述べており、

I believe what First Lady Akie meant by "women's peace-making" was that women "don't want wars, but want to protect lives and get along with foreign countries" -- a straightforward way of thinking about peace -- and I am all for that.
おそらく「女性ならではの平和」は「戦争はイヤ、命は大切、外国とも仲良くしたい、とストレートに感じて求める平和」と考えてよいのだろう。それには全面的に賛成したい。

So, when her husband says making "creative changes from a perspective unique to women," is he saying that he means what she said?
　安倍首相の言う「女性ならではの目線での旋風」も、同じ意味なのだろうか。

Women in general value people's lives and health, as well as community and solidarity, and they care for the weak. They feel that what they need is a feeling of security, rather than surviving through fierce competition, and that people of all kinds need to get along. Those are the beliefs that are unique to women, as women have been forced into a socially vulnerable position and struggled for a long time in a man's world.
　外交のかけ引き、経済戦略や各分野とのしがらみを度外視してでも、「厳しい競争より、安心して生活できるのがいちばん」「どんな人たちとも分け隔てなく、仲良くやっていきましょうよ」などと命や健康、人との交流や連帯、弱者への配慮を理屈抜きに大切にする。それが、いわゆる“男社会”で長い間、弱い立場に置かれ、苦労してきた女性たちならではの視点と言えるはずだ。

Some of the new women ministers, however, have made bitter remarks toward neighboring Asian countries. At least one minister has said she became a politician to "defend Japan's honor." Of course, I'm not saying that these comments would directly affect their duties as ministers, but I can't help questioning their position, because they don't necessarily appear to care about the weak or minorities. They seem to lack a cooperative attitude of "let's get along and help each other."
　ところが、今回入閣した女性大臣たちの中には、地方での講演で「私が議員になったのは、日本の名誉を守りたいから」と断言したり、アジアの国々に手厳しい発言を繰り返したりする人もいる。もちろんそれが直接、大臣としての執務に影響するとは言えないが、決してその目が、少数者や弱者のほうを向いているとは言えなかったり、「みんな仲良く」「助け合って」という協調路線ではなかったりするように思うのだ。

I wonder what kind of "perspective" Prime Minister Abe expects from these women ministers.
　首相は、そういった女性閣僚たちにどんな「女性ならではの目線」を期待しようとしているのだろう。

I see many women at my clinic who suffer from problems that particularly affect women, such as poverty, domestic violence and enduring stress from taking care of their elderly parents. I sincerely hope that these women ministers take notice of less fortunate women and help them survive in difficult times.
　診察室には、貧困や夫からの暴力、介護ストレスなど「女性ならではの問題」で苦しむ人が大勢やって来る。今回、入閣した女性大臣たちの目が少しでも彼女たちのほうに向けられ、その苦しみが解決に向かうようサポートしてもらいたい、と願っている。（精神科医）

(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2014年09月09日　地方版