Editorial: Gender equality, advancement of women still falls short in Japan

March 18 , 2020

A quarter-century has passed since gender equality was formally adopted as a global goal at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. Since then, significant progress has been made, particularly in the increase of women in the workforces of industrialized countries. Sweden and other Nordic nations claim a women’s employment ratio of more than 70%, while the UK is nearing 70% and the US has surpassed 60%.

Even Japan has done well on this front. According to a labor survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIAC) last year, 71% of the women aged 15 to 64 were working—a record high. That compares favorably to the median global ratio of 47% versus 74% for men in 2019, prompting the UN Commission on the Status of Women to declare that many countries still fall short in their efforts to provide equality and advancement for women.

The UN commission’s concern is equally applicable to the industrialized countries, in part because the ratio of women in national legislative bodies and senior corporate management remain in dire need of improvement. And none are as far back in this area as Japan. Take the latest labor report: of the women between the ages of 15 to 64 who are employed, 54% are temporary hires who enjoy neither the remuneration, benefits nor security of their permanently hired peers.

In December 2019, the Japanese government, having accepted Komeito’s proposal, designated gender equality as a priority policy objective in achieving Japan’s Sustainable Development Goals. While it represents a modest first step, many more steps are sure to follow.