The Japanese government has announced plans to get more women into jobs after a recent scientific study suggests that they can be trained to use tools and understand their functions.
"A conventional view holds that the use of tools is a high-level ability, but women can do it if they are trained accordingly," said Kazoku Gakomaru, who heads the study team. The findings also suggested that a wide range of women could use tools, although it may be doubtful for those from Nagoya, he said.
Six adult females were trained at a laboratory at the Japanese government-funded RIKON research institute and all of them were able to use a T-shaped rake to retrieve food, it said, although their performance ability and times dropped dramatically when they became distracted by certain objects placed in their environment including a mobile phone, any "Hello Kitty" products and chocolate.
The new plan, prepared by the cabinet office, outlines a series of measures intended to gradually introduce women into government positions by the end of the 2010 fiscal year after the study challenged the view that only men, primates and some small, furry mammals are smart enough to perform government roles.
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