Even as the #MeToo campaign still refuses to die down with more number of women coming forward to disclose the sexual harassment they have faced, another similar campaign appears to be gathering momentum —this time from Japan.
Japanese women have largely taken to Twitter to express rage at the socially ordained practice of wearing heels at workplace. Using the #KuToo hashtag, Twitter users are calling for a change in formal dress code for women.
According to a report in the TIME, the fresh campaign was started by Yumi Ishikawa, a 32-year-old model and actor, who created the hashtag #KuToo, taking a cue from the #MeToo movement.
#KuToo is a combination of the Japanese words for shoe (kutsu) and pain (kutsuu).
Fishikawa has also launched a petition on change.org calling on the government to explicitly forbid employers from requiring women to wear certain types of shoes.
Flats are usually frowned upon for ladies, since they’ve traditionally been viewed as too casual, and so mid-level pumps have become the de facto dress code for female job hunters in Japan, reads a report in the Japan Today.
“Why do some people not wanna admit it’s sexism? Have guys ever been forced to wear heeled shoes, which are actually harmful to health? Obviously not...Tbh those who wanna avoid sexism connotation just are representing so uncool ideas in this era, which is shameful,” tweets one user.
“There is no f*****g reason to be seen beautiful when we go to work. We are there to work, that's what we're paid for. Stop making stupid statements like 'men wear suits! we are in pain too!' 'Why men are not considered?' Well then make a new hashtag 'no suit for men',” fumes another woman.
Yet another user writes: “This is not a movement to ban heels, it's just a movement to widen the choices of footwear. It's a movement for high heel lovers and non-high heel lovers, for everyone. Whose right would be violated by this campaign? Nobody's.”
