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| "DAWN" Newsletter of The DAWN CENTER |
< Interview >
In Pursuit of the Society Where a Woman Can Stand on Her Own Feet and Have a Dream
for the Future |
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| In Japan, it is not easy for a woman who quit her job at the time of marriage
or childbirth to re-enter the labor market. Ms. Fujiki was no exception. When
she gave birth to her first child at the age of 30, she was forced to face this
reality. But she has overcome the difficulties and established a network for women
working freelance. |
Minako Fujiki
President of AMIDA. Inc. ( a planning and production company )
President of WANA Kansai ( an incorporated NPO )
The word WANA carries many implications:
* Women's Association for Networking their Abilities
* We Are Not Alone
* I Want to ~ |
"As my husband quit his job when I gave birth to my first
child, I had to work no matter what. I visited companies which advertised for
illustrators in the newspaper, and marketed myself with my baby sleeping in my
car."
She worked for a trading house, where she met her husband. But she had enjoyed
drawing pictures since her high-school days and once studied drawing at an art
studio. She thought she would be able to work at home as a freelance illustrator.
"Fortunately, some of the companies were interested in my illustrations.
Before long, I also began to write advertisement copy." In the early days,
she didn't know how to make out delivery notes or bills. Even while making many
mistakes, she learned by doing. This experience was one of her motives for setting
up a network later.
Although she steadily expanded her business, getting orders from many companies,
she found herself feeling lonely working alone at home. She decided that she needed
comrades. Assuming that there must be many freelance workers who shared her sentiments,
she made an appeal in the newspapers and other media for cooperation in "making
a telephone directory to help freelance workers advertise themselves." She
received numerous inquiries. Together with 312 women, she published a book entitled
"WANA Kansai Book," which offers information on activities of women
freelancers. "At the publication party, held in May 1995, 200 women gathered
and exchanged business cards, which was a spectacular sight. We immediately decided
to organize a group and WANA Kansai was inaugurated."
Six and a half years have passed since then and the environment surrounding women
freelancers has dramatically changed. "At first, some women didn't even have
a telephone for work. But today everyone has a mobile phone. Our society has now
accepted women working freelance in the SOHO (small office, home office) market
or women starting a business."
As the society changes, the role of her group has also changed. WANA, which started
as a network to support women working freelance, obtained corporate status in
2000 as a non-profit organization (NPO) aimed at supporting women's economic independence.
For the future, the group plans to put more emphasis on specialized activities
to help realize the gender-equal society in addition to its current mutual support
activities.
"I am a survivor of both SA (sexual abuse from my stepfather) and DV (domestic
violence from my ex-husband). These experiences have made me acutely aware that
women should achieve economic independence. It is the driving force behind my
NPO activities."
However, she is sometimes puzzled by the younger generation. "University
students who serve an internship at WANA are already disillusioned by work and
marriage. I don't believe in the society where young people are unable to have
a dream. I am going to tell and show the younger generation that it is possible
to juggle work and a rich personal life."
(Interviewed by Haneko Inoue) |
Copyright (C) 2007 DawnCenter. All Rights Reserved.
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