For Haruno Yoshida, co-chair of the Women 20 (W20) committee, a G20 engagement group, female empowerment is something like the construction behind Nara Prefecture¡¯s famed ancient wooden Horyuji Temple.
Using a combination of naturally shaped, organic and nonuniform materials ¡ª some having become sun-warped and weathered over time ¡ª without changing their form, ancient carpenters designed and built the grand monument that dates back to 607 A.D., with the temple, the world¡¯s oldest surviving wooden structure, and its compound now registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
¡°I think a truly sustainable society with diversity is something similar to this ancient method of architecture,¡± Yoshida told The Japan Times in a recent interview ahead of the G20 Summit slated to begin Friday in Osaka. ¡°In such a society, women should not be forced to change nor behave like men. Just like curved wood, a combination of different individuals, each with unique features, can make up a strong society that can continue for more than a 1,000 years.¡±
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