“Strong” Men Will Save the World? a Gender-Focused Analysis of Fukushima and Chernobyl-Related Discources

“Middle-aged men especially welcome”, say the fliers, because they are less vulnerable to radiation”. (Fresh Currents 2012e)

This is a quotation concerning announcement that is searching for new workers at crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant in Fukushima prefecture, Japan. Such flyers, posted around Tohoku, were advertising the work for 14,000 yen a day.

It is in fact an announcement very typical for discourse regarding post-disaster nuclear plants and nuclear industry in general. In similar fashion, children are considered to be “most vulnerable” to radiation, then come women, elder people and men – in the end. However, I will emphasize that the important thing is not the level of vulnerability, but the fact that radiation poses possible threats for all living organisms regardless of their age or sex.

In this paper, by focusing on gender-related discourse involving post-disaster Chernobyl and Fukushima, as well as on rules and regulations in nuclear industry, I will argue that the “gender issue” in post-disaster discourse might serve for switching the discussion points from attempts to really protect people who might suffer to just making them the small coin in the policies of nuclear companies or government actors.