Women in Agile Tokyo 2023 Event Report
The first conference organized by Women in agile Japan, Women in agile Tokyo conference 2023, ended successfully on February 17. There were many opinions and perspectives on problems that we don't usually hear, and many wonderful situations beyond our imagination.
Why women in agile conference now?
Japan has not made much progress in achieving gender equality and an environment where women can continue to be active.
It has been 1 year and 4 month from we established WiAJ (we started Sep,2021).
Japan which don't have visible and emergency gender problems.
But why?
Why projects occur where women are not included, even Tech industry?
On the other hand, why does the agile community seem to be relatively easy for women?
Why does women SNS tend to get creepy response?
Maybe this is something that will take an absurd amount of time, but can't we put into words our feelings of discomfort one by one and take action to change them? Even if we can't change it, can't we reduce the number of people who become mentally ill? It is with these thoughts that we decided to start the conference.
Japan's Status
Gender Gap Index: Japan ranks 116th, still at the lowest level among advanced countries.
Japan's culture ：It has not yet overcome values such as cooperation, frugality, the virtue of not speaking up, silence is golden, reading the atmosphere, too much consideration, and "it's better not to say anything". Evolution has not translated into action in the workplace.
Difference with US culture (based on personal experience working in US companies): Looking at colleagues working in the US, the diversity and vibrancy of the community is completely different. They have a strong sense of "we need to win it for ourselves, we need to express our opinions ourselves", which may lead to movements such as "Diversity & Inclusion". How about our own country and industry?
Difference with Islamic culture (from Women in Agile community in other regions and Ms. Seya's story): In the Islamic world, the weakness of women's position is more evident and can involve matters of life and death. Compared to the Islamic world, discrimination in Japan is less urgent as it does not involve life-threatening situations. This is why problems that are not visible on the surface have become an issue
What we do
We focused on the following:
Shining a light on invisible issues
Women (or minorities) should voice their discomfort, verbalize it, and convert it into action to turn it into a habit and culture.
Creating a system. Build a flow that expresses discomfort and solves issues.
Instead of building walls, increase opportunities to start with what we can do together.
Keynote Speech: "Frontline Efforts to Prevent Conflict" Director of the Certified Non-Profit Organization REALs (Reach Alternatives): Rumiko Seya In September
2021, a major event occurred - the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Rumiko Seya and members of REALs immediately began their activities and have since rescued many people who were at risk of losing their lives. Their efforts were truly remarkable. Despite their best efforts, there are still many people who they could not save, and fundamentally changing politics is likely to be difficult right now.
However, we feel that there is much to learn from Seya and her team, including their journey, know-how, mindset, and determination.
At the first conference, we asked Seya to share her experiences with us for this reason.
Episode (excerpt)
In the Islamic world, there are women who stand up to face life-threatening situations without any backing.
The success rate of peace agreements in which women play an active role increases by 35%. However, only 9% of peace processes actually involve women's participation (1992-2010). The reason for this is that there are societal structures that make it difficult for women to participate in decision-making.
Why is women's participation important? When society becomes unstable, women are the first to be discarded. Women are sensitive to changes in society and can discern whether an agreement will truly help the weakest members of society. Agreements made without such a perspective are less effective.
It is counterproductive if participation is not active. Within a framework of predetermined harmony, policies and substance cannot be influenced. It is necessary to create paths that reach areas where women cannot access.
There is a term called intersectionality. Even among women, there are multiple categories, so solidarity is not necessarily formed just by being a woman.
Various conflicts can be resolved through dialogue. (Even in a tense situation, the use of fighting or violence is avoided.) It is necessary to cultivate neutral actors or those who proactively work on problem-solving.
By cultivating role models and connecting hope to the next generation, social change can be brought about from that individual to society as a whole, rather than simply ending with one person's success story.
When implementing something, first change the person, then change the system, and finally change society. This order creates a ripple effect.
Message
World peace is achieved in some countries through painstaking efforts, suffering, and a compromise. Happiness will not come just by waiting for it.
Rather than giving up in the depths of despair, find hope.
When you want to change something, such as a person, system, or organization, start by sharing your ideal image with your counterpart. Then, consider the risks of continuing the current situation.
Open Space Technology (OST)
We spent an entire afternoon focusing on participants raising their hands, holding discussions what they want to talk about.
Do you have any discomfort growing inside you?
Do you feel a boiling, bubbling interest?
Do you have anything you want to share or discuss with the people in this room?
There were many lines forming in response to such invitations.
Agendas proposed on the day (partial list):
How to deal with managers who are blocking innovation with "that's pointless" kind of thinking
What can we do as individuals to help those who are not feeling well or taking a lot of days off in the company?
How to create a dialogue for coexistence without conflict
How to expand the community within the company
How to make cross-organizational rules effective
Parental leave and career
What to do when you are too concerned about sexual harassment that it backfires and prevents you from opening up
How to create an easy-to-talk-to meeting for everyone
How to interact with a manager who is above you in your career path
...etc
Organic Envioronment
A "place" where everyone uses their emotions and minds to face questions with no answer, even though it is not work-related.
Release the pressure of "I might not do it well"
and put aside the anxiety of "I might look strange,"
and face yourself.
Today's "place" is the place where embrace for being who you are.
In the evening, people began to naturally space out from the planned tables and spend time freely, either daydreaming or talking in groups of two or three. It was a natural, simple, organic space for human beings to connect.
Code of Conduct
Please take care of yourself and also treat those around you with the same level of importance.Before entering this venue, let's set aside our preconceptions and biases.Let's create an environment where everyone can speak freely.
When you feel uncomfortable with someone's opinion, instead of dismissing them, try to convey to them why you hold a different opinion. This is an important communication skill.
Future Challenges
During the OST, there were many issues discussed, but the ones that came up most frequently were:
Dispelling the traditional image of female leaders
Developing women's careers
When we first start our careers, there is a relatively even gender rate. However, as we move into higher positions, our peers become fewer and we are often left isolated among male colleagues. We lack role models and transparency in career development opportunities.
Even if we receive training as DX professionals, we may not know what training to pursue next if we can't see where our career can go from there. We are unsure about how to succeed and what to do next.
There is a long and rich history behind this theme. Over the years, many female leaders and community members have spoken up and passed the baton to continue the work.
It may take 10 or 20 years, but we want to contribute to solving these challenges by collaborating with as many female leaders and male leaders who support them as possible.
We appreciate your continued support and cooperation.
Feedback from participants (partially quoted):
We received many messages about what we learned and realized on the day of the event! Thank you very much!
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