Disaster reconstruction should revitalize nation
We hope the reconstruction of disaster-hit areas in the Tohoku region will lead to the revitalization of the whole nation.
The Reconstruction Design Council has compiled a set of proposals on rebuilding the areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Submitted to Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Saturday, the proposals incorporate requests from municipalities--which will play a leading role in reconstruction--as much as possible and make it clear the government will support the self-reliance of local communities.
The council produced a new approach to building local communities based on the philosophy of "disaster reduction," or minimizing damage, rather than completely containing major disasters. The idea is reasonable as a basic guideline for the reconstruction.
The government needs to flesh out the proposals and make the utmost effort to translate them into reality.
As one of the main points of its proposals, the council advocated bold use of a special-zone system, which would allow deregulation and the transfer of authority to local governments.
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Special fisheries zone urged
For example, the council proposed creation of a special zone to revitalize the fishing industry. Such a zone would make it easier for companies to acquire fishing rights, which are currently allocated preferentially to local fishermen's cooperative associations. The idea aims at finding a way for the fishing industry, which faces a serious manpower shortage, to survive by using companies' money and expertise as a lever.
The fishermen's cooperative associations strongly oppose the idea, but the government should tenaciously seek their understanding in cooperation with the prefectural governments.
The proposals also urge the creation of a special zone that would simplify the application process for land-use plans--which is currently different for urban areas, farmland and fishing ports--and centralize administrative authority. These steps will be necessary to swiftly build many towns over wide areas.
The government must speed up formulation of bills to create the special zones.
The council also proposed a system that would facilitate mass relocation of people in areas devastated by tsunami to upland sites. Full-scale financial assistance to local governments must be discussed because they do not have any financial reserves.
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Nuclear research facilities sought
With regard to Fukushima Prefecture, which has been directly hit by the nuclear crisis, the council recommended the development of state-of-the-art research and medical facilities to study and treat the effects of radiation and the creation of a base for research on renewable energy.
It is important to turn the nuclear crisis into something positive. We hope discussions on the matter will gain momentum under the government's initiative, so residents of the prefecture can have hope for the future.
Obtaining stable financial resources over the long term is key to realizing the ideas incorporated in the proposals.
It is understandable that the council proposed a temporary tax hike. In particular, it urged the government to discuss core taxes from multiple perspectives. It says it is necessary to comprehensively discuss corporate, income and consumption taxes.
Some within the government are cautious about raising the consumption tax. However, a consumption tax rate hike must be positively considered, as the proposals advocate, to secure financial resources through burden-sharing based on solidarity among present generations.
More effort must be made for gender-equal society
Utilizing women's abilities is key to boosting the vigor of Japanese society, one of the reasons why encouraging efforts toward gender equality is extremely important.
The government established a target in 2003 of raising the proportion of women in leadership positions in key sectors of society to at least about 30 percent by 2020.
The current rate, however, stands at just 10 percent. The 2011 government white paper on gender equality, approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, says women's participation in many fields is still insufficient, and calls for redoubled efforts to promote gender equality in all parts of society.
The percentage of women occupying leadership positions has already reached 42 percent in the United States and 37 percent in Germany, meaning Japan has been lagging far behind the United States and European countries in terms of gender equality.
Twenty-five years have passed since the Equal Employment Opportunity Law came into effect, and women of what was called the "equal opportunity generation" have played active roles as corporate executives and in other managerial positions.
However, the proportion of women working as section chiefs or higher in companies with at least 100 staff has remained extremely low at 6 percent.
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Promote work-life balance
The low percentage of women in managerial posts is due primarily to the fact that many women stop working when they have their first child. There is an urgent need to increase the number of child care facilities and expand systems for child care leave.
It is encouraging that in recent years some companies have set such goals as increasing the proportion of women hired for the career track to at least 30 percent of employees fresh from college, and placing high priority on fostering female executives.
It is also important to promote the principle of work-life balance to make it possible for women to make work compatible with child rearing. No time should be wasted to provide a pleasant working environment for women.
With the continued low birthrate and graying of the population, concern is growing over a decline in the working population. Currently, the number of people of working age--15 to 64--per older person stands at 2.7. Known as the old-age support ratio, this figure is predicted to drop to 1.8 in 2030.
The future of Japan's society can never be bright without effective use of women's working power.
To create a more comfortable and enriched living environment, it is imperative to value women's point of view more highly in all spheres of life.
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Respect for women's roles
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Cabinet Office has prodded local municipalities in disaster-struck regions to set up consultation services for women, but municipalities have tended to be slow in doing so. Problems have occurred at many evacuation centers because of a failure to secure privacy for women.
In Tome, Miyagi Prefecture, a group of people, including female members of the city's drafting committee for a gender equality ordinance, created a support team for female victims of the disaster.
Based on requests from women at evacuation centers, team members have engaged in such activities as providing women's underwear and cosmetics in collaboration with companies that offered their support.
Women also play an important role in providing mental care for disaster victims and improving the environment for child rearing. In the future projects for reconstruction from the March 11 disaster, women should be encouraged to give full play to their sensitive, considerate way of doing things.
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