Q&A with Jackie F. Steele and Megumi Ishimoto
Leading up to our upcoming monthly meeting on ‘Celebrating Women as Change Agents in Post-Disaster Tohoku,’ we’re featuring a Q&A with Jackie F. Steele, a political scientist at the University of Tokyo, and Megumi Ishimoto, Executive Director of NPO Women’s Eye. The Q&A is modeled on the Proust Questionnaire, designed to reveal insights into the respondent’s personality.
Join us for an insightful panel discussion on how diverse young women are serving as grassroots agents of progressive change in Tohoku as they #PressforProgess at our meeting this Thursday, March 15. Register for the meeting here!
Jackie F. Steele
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Watching my children grow and play without inhibition.
What is your greatest fear?
A major earthquake in Tokyo and being separated from my kids.
What is your current state of mind?
Ready to challenge new ways of living and working.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
In academia, being prolific in published articles.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
The possibility of democratic politics.
When and where were you happiest?
When I saw my daughter’s face for the first time.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Cooking skills would be practical, but I actually love eating what my partner cooks for the family.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Raising children without losing my individuality and autonomy.
What is your most treasured possession?
My freedom and my family.
What do you most value in your friends?
Generosity of spirit, genuine loyalty, funny critical wit.
Which book do you think is a must-read for women?
The Sexual Contract, by Carole Pateman.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Charles Taylor, Iris Marion Young, Machiavelli, Jack Layton.
What is your motto? ´
The personal is political.
What does FEW mean to you?
A space for global women to connect and learn together in Tokyo.
When have you have felt most empowered?
When performing with Kamo Tsunamura Daiko in Sendai.
Megumi Ishimoto
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Laughing and chatting with friends and family.
What is your greatest fear?
The next mega earthquake in Japan.
What is your current state of mind?
Getting ready for my next project.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
The Japanese virtue of modesty .
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My partner.
When and where were you happiest?
When I believed I was going to be Peter Pan.
Which talent would you most like to have?
IT.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A network of next generation women change agents in Tohoku.
What is your most treasured possession?
My team.
What do you most value in your friends?
Authenticity.
Which book do you think is a must-read for women?
I don’t know, but “How the other half dies: The real reasons for world hunger” changed my mindset.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Definitely the young women leaders whom I work with in Tohoku.
What is your motto?
Be true to myself.
What does FEW mean to you?
I don’t know yet, but maybe a good networking place.
When have you have felt most empowered?
When I participated in the JWLI 2014 one month-long leadership training in Boston.