Japan Webgrrls - A conversation with May Leong (Japan Webgrrls Founder, and Director, Webgrrls International )
by Karen Solomon

How did you get started with Webgrrls in Japan?

The first time I heard about Webgrrls was in an article in the New York Times online, and I thought Japan needed this because the Internet was so new. I knew that women could make a difference in this field if they got involved early. I was looking for a project to get into, and I was hoping for one that would bring me into contact with women, as most of my students and co-workers were men. I liked the mission of Webgrrls: to provide a forum for women in new media. I contacted the Webgrrls headquarters in New York to see if anyone had started a chapter in Japan. Once I got the OK from the New York office, I started working on a website for Japan Webgrrls. Since I was working at the university, I was very lucky to have a captive audience and an interested population. I posted some flyers and about 15 women (students and faculty) showed up at the first meeting in September 1996. We talked about what Webgrrls is and what the organization could do. Then we said, "What would you like to learn?" A month later, we held our first HTML workshop.

What were your goals for Webgrrls?

The first goal of the group was for women to connect with one another in a supportive atmosphere. The second goal was for women to meet and empower one another. The third goal was for the group to conduct bilingual workshops.

What were some obstacles for the group and how did you overcome them?

Our biggest obstacle is funding. When the group moved from Niigata to Tokyo, we needed meeting space. Our second year anniversary event cost money to rent space, so we did fundraising at our Christmas party. We started charging more for meetings and adding it to a kitty so that we could pay for workshop space and meeting space.

Why did you leave Japan?

First of all, let me say that I love Japan and that I would love to return there again in the future. We had been living in Japan for five years and I was thinking of returning to the US, but I wasn't motivated. Eileen Shulack (former Webgrrls International Director) let me know her position was opening up, so I applied. It was the only overseas job I applied for. If I didn't get it, I was going to apply for other jobs in Japan. This was a very interesting opportunity that I couldn't pass up.

How has Japan Webgrrls changed since you left last December?

There are more active women. There was a fear when I left that the group would fizzle out because I used to do a lot of administration and organization. I knew if I had set up Japan Webgrrls correctly that the group would get better. That's what a good leader does.

What have you gotten out of being a Webgrrl?

I've received an enormous amount of personal and professional benefit. I've met wonderful women, many of whom have opened up and showed me the other side of Japan I never would have seen as a foreigner. Professionally, I was able to change careers, and I'm now the Director of Webgrrls International at New York headquarters. And though I don't consider myself very technical, I'm more technical than I was three years ago. What's more important is one's drive to learn, and I've learned a lot. The most important thing I've learned is that Webgrrls and women's organizations like it really do change people's lives.

Connecting with a network of women: Japan Webgrrls
Interviews with Japan Webgrrls

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