One woman in Japan is leading a crusade for sartorial equality — or to at least provide women with less painful footwear options. According to The Guardian, Yumi Ishikawa has launched a petition in Japan to end workplace dress codes that require women to wear high heels. She’s already got around 19,000 signatures in support.
But Ishikawa isn’t stopping at just a petition — she’s launched a full campaign. Using the hashtag #KuToo — a play on the Japanese words for shoes (“kutsu”) and pain (“kutsuu”), while also referencing #MeToo — it aims to bring attention to how women even feel pressured to wear heels to job interviews. Ishikawa herself says she had to wear heels when she worked at a funeral parlor.
1万人を超えました！
メールアドレスとお名前だけで署名ができます。問題点:
①性別によって同じ職場で強制される服装が違うこと
②健康を害してまで強制されるマナーとは？「厚生労働省宛: #KuToo 職場でのヒール・パンプスの強制をなくしたい！」 https://t.co/q61K5E2TVw @change_jpより
— 石川優実@#KuToo署名中👞👠 (@ishikawa_yumi) February 21, 2019
“I hope this campaign will change the social norm so that it won’t be considered to be bad manners when women wear flat shoes like men,” she told the publication. While we love a cute pair of heels, no woman should be forced to wear them just to feel professional.
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