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Questionnaire Surveys on Commuter Trains

 

Project Name

Questionnaire Surveys on Commuter Trains

Subject (Respondents)

50 Japanese males and females between the ages of 14 - 49 who live in Japan and have registered on ’D STYLE WEB’ (a dedicated website to conduct survey questionnaires) and who commute daily to work or school by train.

Research conducted on

May 15 – 31st, 2005

On Monday May 9th 2005, major train companies in Tokyo area started to implement the "Women Only" carriages. The purpose is to eliminate the numbers of public groping however there are many people who disagree with this change. We performed a survey to collect commuters’ opinions.

Research Results

Do you agree with "Women Only" train carriages? (SA)

【Whether people agree with the “Women Only” carriages or not. N=200】

• More than 70% of respondents (both male and female) answered that they agree with the introduction of "Women Only" carriages, (74% and 82% respectively).
• Women in favor of "Women Only" carriages said that it eliminated the number of gropers on the train. On the other hand, those not in favor stated that this change was sexual discrimination and that it makes the trains even more crowded.

【Opinions】

■ Agree

• It definitely eliminates the number of public gropers. (Male 17yo High School Student)
• Groping is a big problem and it should not be happening. I do not want to be wrongly accused either. (Male 29yo Administrator)
• It is for women’s safety. (Male 34yo Clark)
• I do not have to be worried about the position of my hands on a crowded train. (Male 42yo Engineer)
• I do not like public gropers and I think it is good for men who may be wrongly accused. (Female 18yo High School Student)
• I love the idea of "Women Only" carriages but it seems strange to be in a normal carriage once there are "Women Only" carriages in the train. (Female 23yo Part-Timer)
• For females, it is very uncomfortable to stand very close to males in the train. For males, it eliminates the possibility of being wrongly accused of groping. (Female 35yo Part-Timer)
• It makes me feel a lot safer. (Female 46yo Sales)

■ Disagree

• Public groping is indeed a big problem but it is seems too excessive to have "Women Only" carriages. (Male 18yo High School Student)
• I really understand the importance of having it but the problem is that there is such a background which makes introduce this kind of carriage. I just do not think it is right. (Male 28yo Sales)
• "Women Only" carriages are not as crowded as other carriages during rush hour and it is not fair. We should have "Men Only" carriages to make things fair. If we have "Women Only" carriages, it should only be one carriage per every 3-5 trains. (Male 36yo Engineer)
• Some train companies that are not interested in carbon dioxide emissions may be forced to implement "Women Only" carriages. (Male 31yo Sales)
• "Women Only" carriages are not as crowded as other carriages. It is unfair. (Male 42yo Engineer)
• The "Women Only" carriages are uncomfortable as it just smells perfume. I do not want to use it anymore. (Female 17yo High School Student)
• The "Women Only" carriages are always at the end of the train. If I am not in these carriages and I get groped, people might think ’If you don’t like it, go to the "Women Only" one’. The idea is just ridiculous! (Female 29yo Engineer)
• I heard that some high school girls were laughing at an old lady who was on the "Women Only" carriages. It shows that there is discrimination even among women. (Female 32yo Part-Timer)
• Now I cannot use these carriages as I only see girls putting on make-up and styling their hair. (Female 49yo Self-Employed)

★MEN ONLY QUESTIONS★

Do you think it is unfair to have "Women Only" carriages? (SA)

【Whether or not people think it is unfair to have "Women Only" carriages. N=100】

52% of the respondents do not think it is unfair to have "Women Only" carriages while 12% think that is very unfair.

【Opinions】

■ Strongly Agree N=12

• "Women Only" carriages should be perfectly normal. (45yo CEO)
• It will change depending on the government but I think it will be popular. (39yo Executive)
• It is common overseas too. (43yo Sales)

■ Agree N=25

• Women have risks to be groped while men have risks in being called a "groper". They should see it from the men’s point of view too. (18yo Cramming School Student)
• It is good only for women. (20yo University Student)
• I think it will make other carriages even more crowded. (36yo Administrator)
• It makes other carriages more crowded. (44yo Administrator)

■ Undecided N=11

• I don’t really care about it but I don’t like to hear men say "it is sexual discrimination" or women say "it’s a wrong idea to set a ghetto for women". (15yo High School Student)
• I do understand how some people might think it is sexual discrimination. (27yo Part-Timer)
• I don’t think it is completely fair. (33yo Part-Timer)
• I think the train companies should think both about women’s point of view and how crowded the trains will be before making any decisions. (48yo Engineer)

■ Disagree N=32

• The truth is that only women get groped and that is unfair, so this is a good thing for us. (19yo University Student)
• Women have rights to be protected from a risk, so I do not think it is sexual discrimination. (20yo University Student)
• I have heard of women getting groped but never heard of the opposite so I do not think there is a need for "Men Only" carriages. (31yo. Vocational School Student)
• It is good and if they introduce "Women Only" carriages more, it means there will be more carriages for men only. (40yo Others)

■ Strongly Disagree N=20

• ’Sexual discrimination’ and ’separating sexes’ are completely different and do not feel it is unfair to men. (19yo University Student)
• It is a fact that many women get groped and it is important to create an environment where women feel safe. (23yo Graduate School Student)
• It might be more difficult for women to protect themselves than for men because they are weaker both socially and physically. (37yo Sales)
• As long as there are gropers out there, we need it and nobody ever said that life is fair. (41yo Engineer)

★MEN ONLY QUESTIONS★

If you witness public groping, would you try to help? Select the answer that applies to you the most. (SA)

【Actions upon witnessing public groping. N=100】

The most popular reaction to witnessing public groping were as follows:
No.1: To help but not sure if they can actually do anything – 59%
No.2: To help for sure - 37%
No.3: To do nothing – 4%
Nearly two thirds of the respondents (59%) answered that although they would like to help, they were not sure if they could actually do anything if faced with a groping incident.

★WOMEN ONLY QUESTIONS★

Have you ever experienced public groping? (SA)

【Whether people experienced public groping or not. N=100】

A substantial 83% of women have experienced public groping on trains.

★WOMEN ONLY QUESTIONS★

Do you use "Women Only" carriages? (SA)

【Whether or not people use "Women Only" carriages. N=100】

37% answered that they use "Women Only" carriages while 57% did not care whether they have "Women Only" carriages or not.

★WOMEN ONLY QUESTIONS★

Has anything changed since they introduced "Women Only" carriages? (SA)

【Opinions】

■ A lot has changed N=12

• It has definitely made me feel safer but if I do not use the "Women Only" carriages, I feel like people are thinking that I want to get groped. (17yo High School Student)
• I feel a lot safer because I do not have to worry about public groping. (17yo High School Student)
• I feel safer and I can wear a skirt to work. (21yo Part-Time Worker)
• I feel protected and if I take trains at night, I feel safe. (27yo Engineer)
• Nothing has really changed as yet but if there are more "Women Only" carriages implemented, I am sure things will change. (32yo Administrator)
• I feel safe. (31yo Government Employee)
• I feel happy now because people have realized that women should be protected. (42yo Part-Timer)
• I think it is great to eliminate public groping. It is not sexual discrimination and I feel that Japan is changing to become a society where women are protected. (45yo Self-Employed)