外国語コーススピーチコンテスト 受賞者全文 2023
2022/23 Topics 外国語コース 英語スピーチコンテスト 受賞者全文
1st place
「Raise Your Hand」
外国語コース1年 中松さん
The term "suffragette" came to existence after a group of woman activists fought for their right in public elections in the United Kingdom in the early 20th century. As the world develop ed over time, countries began to allow women to vote starting with New Zealand as the first country in the world where women were entitled to vote in government roles. Even to this day, women's rights is a very hot topic and numerous films have been produced on this topic, such as the 2015 film "Suffragette" starring powerful women such as Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, Carey Mulligan and more. So today, I would like to talk about women's empowerment in the government as an issue in tl1is present day.
So how about the current fact of gender equality? According to the research of the government of Japan, only about six percent of national public leadership positions of higher level are held by women. This is the highest share throughout years, from 2021. Despite being a developed country, Japan has the lowest percentage of women leaders in political representation among the developed countries.
According to the United Nations Women of UN Entity, "Just 15 countries have a woman Head of Government. And just 13 countries have a woman Head of State. At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years." With this said, we can tell that our modem world is still mostly ruled by men and that we are lacking gender equality and balance. This is controlled by many factors with gender bias being one of the most noticeable factors.
In the past, women were largely excluded from positions of power and influence. According to the official group of Congress (in Japan?), about 100 members of Congress were women during the 1970s. Despite these barriers, women have achieved many important victories in the process. The Equal Rights Amendment has been one of the keystowards the achievements of the women's rights movement in recent years. This amendment would have granted all women equal status under the law by ensuring that all "persons" are protected against discrimination based on gender. However, this amendment was never approved due to opposition from conservative groups who believed that equal protection applies only to men. Despite experiencing many setbacks throughout the years, consistency is key towards ensuring that women are treated fairly and are given equal opportunities to succeed alongside men.
I had an experience during middle school that led me to think about gender equality. We were given several questions and a few girls and boys raised their hands. However, the teacher only picked out the boys to answer the question and this lasted for the rest of the class. To my surprise and disbelief, none of the girls complained about not being picked. None of the girls spoke up. I think this stereotype (what stereotype?) leads to few women in leadership.
This other time, I had just finished an English exam and some of my female friends and I were reflecting on how we did. I said, "I should've written one more sentence in the last question." My friend then replied, "I needed a couple more minutes." and one of the boys in my class, who rarely studies, said, "I'm going to have a perfect score for this!"
From my experiences, I think women intend to not negotiate for themselves. This is why men leaders are at the top in this present day. So here are just a few examples of how the gove1nment can promote women's empowerment in the future. Provide more educational opportunities for girls in all countries and introduce policies that promote girls' education. Every government agency should establish an equal opportunity policy to ensure that all employees are treated with respect regardless of their gender or ethnicity.
Starting from any age, raise your voice to succeed in women's empowerment. Because I think it only takes one of each of your voices to speak up. Raise your hand and speak up for gender equality.
2nd place
「Be yourself, love yourself 」
外国語コース2年 佐藤さん
Do you like yourself? I'm trying to love myself now.
By the way, have you ever heard of the word "HSP"? This word stands for "Highly Sensitive Person". I'm an HSP and used to worry a lot about my personality. Nowadays, there are many people who feel uneasy because of their own personalities. I really want everyone to know about HSP this time. And if anyone has the same problem as me, I would like to tell them. Be yourself. Love yourself.
First, let me tell you what HSP is like. There are four main characteristics, and they are called "DOES". They are "Depth of processing", "Overstimulation", "Empathy and Emotional responsiveness", and II Sensitivity to subtleties 11. It is said that one in five Japanese people has such characteristics. Also, these characteristics are "personalities", not mental illnesses. Therefore, there is no treatment at the hospital. But HSP people are prone to mental illness because of their personalities. That's why many people are confused by them.
In Japan, now, mental illness and suicide have become social problems. In fact, according to World Health Organization, Japan has the highest suicide rate of the G7 countries and the ninth highest in the world. And, mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia are major causes of suicide. So, I think we need to get away from worrying about our own personalities in order to solve this social problem, and of course for ourselves.
Then, how can sensitive people avoid suffering? All we have to do is be ourselves and love ourselves. It sounds easy, but it is a little hard to express yourself at school or at work. This is because now that cooperation is important, HSP people are nervous to adapt to the people and situations around them and find it difficult to live. First of all, please understand that you are very thoughtful. It's great to be able to notice small changes in things. But you don't have to match their emotions and atmosphere every time. For example, when someone is very angry, don't take their feelings too seriously. Secondly, let's have time to be alone. In other words, it is good to draw the line with others. The most important thing is to put yourself first. On the other hand, there are things that are important to people who think they are not HSPs, too. It's about understanding the individuality and character of sensitive people and keeping pace. In that way, I don't think it would be a burden for everyone to cooperate.
Just as you want to understand your loved ones deeply, understanding is about loving. For sensitive people, modem society may be tough, However, by being yourself and loving yourself, you can spend your time freely without worrying about anything.
11To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
Thank you for listening.
3rd place
「An assortment of people」
外国語コース1年 甲川さん
What comes to your mind when you hear the word "diversity"? For me, diversity is about bringing people together from different backgrounds and cultures and respecting each other to create an enviro皿ent that celebrates the differences . Although I believe that it has become more common in our everyday lives, it is important to remember that there is always room for more diversity in today's society.
There are many reasons why diversity is important, but here, I will particularly focus on what's most familiar to us: the diversity in our school. You may have thought, "what does diversity have to do in our school?" Or, "why is it relevant when most ofus came from the same nationality, and that all people in this course are girls?" Well, I believe that diversity is not just one's physical attributes－ー it can be the small differences that we have within each of us. It could be something like your own family structure or even your life experiences. But why is diversity important in schools? A lack of diversity in the classroom may cause some students to feel isolated. Creating a diverse atmosphere where students can recognise and celebrate their differences is the most important thing for their safe environment and education. Encouraging and celebrating diversity in classrooms allow students to feel safe, build healthy relationships, and create significant impact on others. These are more specific reasons why diversity should be encouraged in the classroom, with the first being self-acceptance and hig?er self-confidence. When students are accepted by those around them, they gain more confidence in themselves.to engage with others, and when they are more comfortable with socially engaging with others, they become more capable of challenging themselves outside of their comfort zones. The second reason is that we will be able to cooperate and respect each other. If we can respect and celebrate differences between people, we will be more flexible with different perspectives and compromises in society. The third reason is that it leads to empathy towards and with others. Students who learn to accept and be inclusive can develop empathy for others to create a more friendly environment. The fourth and last reason is that it helps to avoid bias. Bias is created through misunderstandings and social pressures. Diversity will allow us to learn and accept each individual to resolve these confusion that we had created ourselves. By instilling these values as early as possible, it is more likely that they will be passed on throughout our lives and we can grow socially. This is why I believe diversity is beneficial and important for us.
So how exactly can we promote diversity? There are many ways you can take action and leave an impact immediately. For example, interacting with people as much as you can, listening with an open mind, abandoning judgement, accepting that differences 5an be beneficial and not harmful, and avoiding forcing your beliefs on people with opposite views. Even the smallest things can make a difference. If you have the opportunity, it would be beneficial to travel around the world to experience the different cultures, and absorb media and art from all over the world. As we are in a foreign language course, it is also a good idea to learn and communicate in new languages.
It is important to share and respect our differences. Acknowledging our differences and combining each of our strengths can make us strong and mature, and it will unquestionably support us in the future. I am proud to be a part of this course, and I am excited to grow more as a person through the challenges and experiences that I will encounter with my fellow classmates.