Webcast Program "After Hours Girls' Party" Kicks off with Live Chats on Maternity Harassment

A new internet TV program for working women started on August 9. The program aims to provide an opportunity for working women to talk casually on problems they have in workplaces and in daily life in general and share the experiences widely by broadcasting it on internet. More than 20 women gathered in the studio in central Tokyo for the first program discussed on widespread practices of pregnancy-related harassments. It is common in Japan that working women are recommended to resign upon informing supervisors of pregnancy, after giving birth or while taking care of infant. Many working women have experienced  The harassments have recently become widely recognized with a Japanese term 'mata-hara' that comes from maternity harassment. KOBAYASHI Miki (photo), a journalist specializing in labor and economic issues and the author of the book "Umasenai shakai (The Society That Suppresses Reproduction)," presented data of the ratio of threatened miscarriages among those working expecting women who were harassed by the employers by being reassigned to positions of harder conditions during pregnancy and various other facts on maternity harassments. She criticized employers that regard pregnancy of female employees as costs to their businesses and 'punish' expecting mothers for causing such 'damages.'  (By MATSUMOTO Chie) 
  Photos   Archive Video (60 min., no subtitles)

マタハラめぐって“公開おしゃべり会”～「仕事のあとの女子会TV」スタート

女性たちの“公開おしゃべり会”として始まったインターネットテレビ「仕事のあとの女子会ＴＶ」が８月９日にはじめて放送された。仕事や生活面での問題について、悩みを持ち寄る場所として始まった番組の放送現場の「スペースきんとう」には、２０人以上の女性たちが集まり、妊娠や出産、育児を機に退職勧奨される「マタニティーハラスメント」（マタハラ）について意見を交わした。「産ませない社会」著者の小林美希さん（写真）が出演し、妊娠中に会社からの嫌がらせでよりハードな仕事に異動させられた女性たちの切迫流産率などの事例を紹介。妊娠したことが「悪いこと」のように受け止められる会社の対応などを批判した。（松元ちえ）
  写真速報・放送アーカイブ（1時間）