A man has filed a lawsuit against an all-women's
university in Japan after they rejected his application to join the
university because he is male. The unnamed man claims Fukuoka Women's
University is discriminating against him based on his gender. He also
claims the university's policy of admitting female-only students is
unconstitutional. The Japanese constitution states that all citizens
have an equal right to education. He wants the university to accept his
application to study and pay him 660,000 yen in damages for the anguish
caused by the rejection. It is the first time in Japan that someone is
suing a national or public women's university over its
constitutionality.
The man believes he has a good case. He
said the women's university was one of his only options to pursue a
career as a dietician. He said: "If my application is rejected, the path
to become a dietitian would be narrow as I will be forced to go to a
university [far away]." The man's lawyer said women-only universities
are anachronistic in today's world. He said: "In the past, women's
universities had the role of giving preferential treatment to women who
had fewer opportunities for education, but that role is no longer
necessary." A university official said: "We have a 91-year history of
promoting women's education. We are determined to continue to provide
education to prepare women for leadership roles."
