Much to be done in Japan’s family and gender equality policies

Abstract

ABSTRACT Prime Minister Kishida’s ‘unprecedented’ measures to counter declining births in Japan include increasing youth incomes, extending childcare leave entitlement and employee social insurance entitlement to precarious workers, and targeting 50% of fathers to take childcare leave by 2025 by increasing the childcare allowance to 80% of salary. He also proposed reskilling opportunities, and mandating firms to disclose their gender wage gap and gender managerial gap. However, reform should also make fundamental changes to Japanese employment practices and the Employee Social Insurance Scheme which is based on a breadwinner-housewife model. Unless the government explicitly moves towards a worker-carer model, the gender wage gap will stay high, and hinder marriage and births, since double income is seen as a must among younger generation. Fundamental change should be in line with the new attitudes of young non-married males and females.