Organization Task

TOKYO — Japan’s Constitution promises gender equality, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he wants a society where all women can “shine.” But many women say that is hard to do when they cannot even use their own surnames. DESCRIPTION OF A SITUATION

Under a Japanese law that dates back to the Meiji era, more than a century ago, all married couples must use one surname. In theory, a couple may choose either the husband’s or the wife’s last name, but in practice, 96 percent of women assume their husband’s.
Advocates for women, including lawmakers across the political spectrum, say they simply want women to make their own choices about their names. But recent court rulings indicate that the law is unlikely to be softened anytime soon, despite rising criticism.IDENTIFICATION OF A PROBLEM

Yoko Uozumi is happily married with a 4-year-old daughter. Two months ago, she took a job in the photo framing business where her husband also works and decided to use only the surname that she was given at birth.
Ms. Uozumi, 36, said she did not want customers to confuse her with her husband, Shigeru Otsuka, since most employees are known primarily by their last names in Japan.
Using her birth surname went beyond convenience. It was also a declaration of empowerment. “I feel more independent,” Ms. Uozumi said. “I feel more who I am.” DESCRIPTION OF A SOLUTION

An increasing number of employers now permit women to use their birth surnames professionally. Yet the courts have undermined even that practice. This month, a Tokyo District Court declined to grant a high school teacher’s request to use her original name at work.
That decision came after Japan’s Supreme Court ruled in December that the law did not violate the Constitution or place an undue burden on women. Critics were disappointed that the decision did not strike down the legal prohibition against separate surnames for married couples, leaving it to the Parliament instead. EVALUATION OF THE SOLUTION
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Text taken from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/25/world/asia/japan-women-married-name.html?_r=0