Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
5 women in Japan have challenged the courts to retain their maiden surname. Here's what happened and why.
5 women in Japan have challenged the courts to retain their maiden surname. Here’s what happened and why.
“Sandhya Ganesh, is that you?” gushes the voice of her fourth grade English teacher, incredulous at the thought of her favourite student all grown up. “It’s Sriram now,” she says, a smile carved on her cheeks – her previous identity unrecognisable; transformed, even. In a way, hadn’t it?
From something as trivial as a profile on a social medium, to the changes made in the official documents: what is the hassle about a surname? Why is it worth holding onto; enough to defy and sue the laws of your nation? For that is exactly what five women in Japan are currently aiming to achieve, undeterred by the discouraging results of similar cases in the past.
Feudalism brought with it a plethora of changes: one of the most groundbreaking being the recognition and maintenance of records; people, as well as property. Thus, surnames were introduced. Men were branded with surnames that would reflect an aspect of their identity: their occupations, physical features, addresses et cetera.
Curiously enough, women were initially denied surnames; simply because the norm then dictated that a woman, after marriage, became the property of the man. It’s changes were no better: women went on to be designated with the surname of their husbands, the concept being that the nameless woman, now shares a surname with her husband as a mark of their unity. However, in all legal aspects, it was the husband who was entitled to use the surname.
The archaic tradition persisted till the 1970s. Not only were women forced to take up the surname of their better half, they were also subject to several restrictions, from voting to driving, and even more bizarre illogical complications such as not being issued credit cards in their names. Women slowly began retaining their maiden names, and the cultural norms loosened in certain ways. Surprisingly, the number of degrees held by women increased during this period.
What prompted women to retain their maiden names was simply the identity it helped them hold onto. They were their name, in a nutshell. Changing that, in the present day, not only induces legal complexities, it also has a negative impact on their career, for a ‘brand name’ as such has already been established.
Returning to the current controversy at hand: the case of the five Japanese women who are fighting for their rights to amend an age-old law. Although the law only specifies that a married couple should retain a common surname, there is a large gender disparity: it’s a shocking minority of 4% of Japanese men who adopt the surname of their wife. The year isn’t 1980, or 2000; it’s 2015.
The primary argument on both sides is essentially the effect it has on a family, with most conservative people believing that different surnames in one family complicate the family ties. Women are combatting this with proof that the strength of families transcend a surname, and presenting alternatives such as hyphened surnames and hybrid surnames, as well as questioning why if it was a matter of such simplicity, men aren’t opting to adopt their other half’s surnames.
At the end of it all, it comes down to the liberty of women: no issues inadopting the surname of their husband, or retaining their own – it should be just be their own choice, rather than imposed upon them; a feat countries such as Greece, Korea and France have successfully accomplished. These five women simply hope to add Japan to the list.
Cover image via Shutterstock
A feminist whose idea of feminism is not just fighting for equality but also telling stories of people whose struggle drives the feminist movement forward. Also, a student. But that's not important. read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
Please enter your email address