The proverb says "eyes are the window on the soul," but some argue that these windows need help to function properly, so many use glasses to enhance their ability to see, which is normal for people. But at the beginning of last week, there was a big bang on social media as some Japanese companies banned women from using glasses. Examples include a woman who works as a nurse at a beauty clinic, as well as women who work as clients' beauticians. In the case of the nurse, the administration informed her to use contact lenses instead of glasses. The prolonged use of contact lenses caused her eyes to dry out.

Excellent view

In fact, if a nurse wants to give me an injection in my hand or anywhere in my body, I would rather have her look in perfect shape and see exactly where to put it. The same is true for women who work in cosmetics. If they want to show me how good the product is going to sell to me, they will look at my face first and see if it fits my face.

Things seem to be getting worse. There are reports that some women work as receptionists in Japan who have been told not to use glasses and to use contact lenses instead, while male employees in the same place are allowed to wear glasses as they please.

Of course, companies in Japan have a history in this area. The Me too movement began in response to the demand from women to wear high-heeled shoes at work. Japanese actress and writer Yumi Ishikura began a campaign of refusal last June to end these outdated practices, where she reported suffering back pain from wearing high heels at work. Within a few days, Japan's labor minister replied that high heels in the workplace were "necessary and professionally appropriate."

In a 2018 report from the World Economic Symposium, Japan was ranked 110th in terms of gender inequality among 149 countries surveyed. It followed countries such as Liberia, Azerbaijan and Myanmar, as well as below the world average. The latter was among the seven countries rich in gender equality.

It is easy to believe that Japan, about 6,000 miles from the UK, is very different from it, and that the British are not thinking about this kind of issue. But three years ago, in 2016, it turned out that the British receptionist Nicolas Thorpe was fired from her job at an accounting firm because she refused to wear high-heeled shoes. Thorpe campaigned and received about 150,000 signatures from supporters. Her, her case was discussed in the British Parliament. But in 2017, the first attempt to pass a law protecting employees' rights to dress and the like culminated in failure.

But in 2018 the British Government Equality Bureau published a new guide, but its language was inconclusive on the subject. The law's position on the case remained elusive, and it did not explicitly specify whether forcing an employee to wear high-heeled shoes was considered gender discrimination.

It is essential to have clear clothing regulations, as important as those concerned with employee safety. But I don't think for a moment that a person wearing high-heeled shoes can be safer.

struggle

I struggled for about a decade around the skirt at school as part of the formal dress, and I hated it. In winter it is very cold, no matter how many socks I wear.

Fortunately, these regulations have been modified or changed in many schools to allow students the option of wearing pants and wearing a skirt for males if they choose to. However, attitudes in which women have the right to choose are very limited.

Lucy McAnerney is a freelance writer

- In a 2018 report on the symposium

Global economic, Japan was

Ranked 110th in terms of lack

Gender equality within

149 countries surveyed.