Gov't panel warns of widening gender gap in Japan due to pandemic

Well there is 3 decades of meetings coming up said a senior LDP official as he rubbed his hands together in glee.

In a report compiled in late April, the panel of experts said the crisis has led to an increase in domestic violence cases and suicides among women while hitting them harder financially as many have lower-paid nonregular jobs in badly affected sectors such as restaurants and hotels.

If the subsidies these businesses received, including GoTo, came with the simple proviso that staff must be kept on payroll or no subsidies you would be looking at different outcomes.

Payroll protection is just a common sense pandemic response that all other first world nations did!

Instead there were just gifts for business owners to shore up their bottom lines. From the taxpayers, many of whom were out of jobs.

They don't mention in this piece anywhere that male suicides account for 100% more than female. From this feminist take you would think women have it harder than men in Japan which is obviously demonstrably false.

Marukawa's, "we will continue to discuss measures" tells it all. Gender inequality is not something new in Japan and they are still only at a discussion stage with no concrete measures. Sounds almost like her responses to journalists when asked about the Olympics.

Men can just walk out on their family and pay nothing ever, just walk away. So it’s not feminist it’s the legal obstacles, the social acceptance that ensure unfairness to half the population. It’s all very much weighted against women, mothers. Men might kill themselves more but mostly out of shame.

Gov't panel warns of widening gender gap in Japan due to pandemic

Well, then do something about it. It’s been going on for decades, and NOW you guys suddenly care about it? No one is falling for this crap, focus on the lecture at hand． The VAX rollout!

The government should come up with policies to boost financial support for women and promote their empowerment, according to the paper, which was submitted on April 28 to Tamayo Marukawa, the minister in charge of promoting gender equality.

They should have said "urged" the government, then someone who matters might listen! (sarcasm!)

And where is the news here?

After the Mori thing Japan “solved” the problem just to please the international community and nothing more putting a woman as a tatemae thing.

The sexist culture is so eradicated in this country that it takes more than a few replacements of chairs but a deep reform in the educational system starting from the very first years of life of children,especally educate the male children in respect and understanding of the terms of equality in gender.

Japan doesn’t like changes and with a country where women are literally sexualized every day like submissive dolls and semi slaves there is nothing that can be done.

This summarize the whole thing.

”Japan ranked 120th among 156 countries in the gender gap rankings in 2021”

Make no mistake. The ones in charge see gender equality (and any form of social justice) as a concept imposed by the West. Most women who do manage to attain positions of power are opportunists who use their gender to tokenize themselves and whose policy proposals are often more conservative than those of their male counterparts.

There is enormous pressure on men to be breadwinners and work overtime only to give all their income to their wives who leave them with nothing but an allowance. However, it's ultimately the woman who is dependent on that breadwinner and whose attempts at pursuing what she wants to do in life are treated as inferior worthy of nothing more than part-time contracts and abysmal hourly wages.

In that way, Japanese-style patriarchy is a great way to make everyone "know their place" and keep a lot of people miserable.

You seem concerned Today @SurivanihC 6:48am

*- “The gap will widen even further, ...the suicides of women will do nothing but increase. The gov't is aware of the gap..*.” -

Yet, yesterday you seemed apathetic to family issues: “60% feel it is hard to raise children in Japan: gov't survey.”

*- “It is easy to have kids in Japan...what is everyone crying about? Get a good job that pays well and there are no problems. No one said raising kids is easy, and it should not be free. Why does a tax payer have to support YOUR kids? SMH” - *

Why the change of heart today?

The gender gap is a social construct.

For everyone interested, here's the actual report where Japan ranks 120th. CTRL+F "Japan" http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf

However, Japan has slightly closed its overall gap this year, moving up two positions since last year’s edition of the index

That's not much, but it is making progress.

..

The hardship women are facing during the pandemic is not because of the "gender gap". It's because of the public sector, which happens to be hit harder by the pandemic and people not taking advantage of the DV protection laws enough. Also, people who notice DV don't speak up or step in most of the time.

Civil courage is something that needs to be taught to Japan. You have to make it mandatory by law to step in rather than encouraging everyone to just look away.

I bet if you took out "health and survival", Japan would likely be 156 out of 156.

What? live a long life in misery, poverty, and marginalised as a sex object, is better than a short happy, rewarding life? Think I’d rather live to 60 and have a happy life than 90 living as a token for either sex or political outlook. But you might be right maybe it’s better to live in misery than prove a point on an index then I guess I’ve achieved something with my existence.

Are you referring to enacting some “Good Samaritan” laws? @Furan 10:07am:

“Civil courage” is something that needs to be taught to Japan. You have to “make it mandatory by law to step in” rather than encouraging everyone to just look away.” -

Maybe it’s because the J Government wouldn’t be able to continue to control all ‘the sheep’ the every situation with its current ambiguous laws and selective enforcement?

The paper said an entrenched view that men were breadwinners and women responsible for household chores and childrearing was still holding women back in society despite "rapid changes in individuals' work styles and family forms."

Men need to work whether or not they are considered the “breadwinner”. Men can’t have babies and breastfeed regardless of the Left’s confusion over the matter. Japanese women don’t have to get married. They do not have to do housework if they don’t want to. They don’t have to have babies and it’s well publicized have indeed chosen not to. Women can and do have businesses and do well for themselves - my mother-in-law has done so. Stop with the Leftist propaganda. It’s old.

Understood @KobeWhiteBarOwner:

“...among women while hitting them harder.” -

This article about the government’s Pre-Olympic ‘virtue signaling’ is another example of ‘a lot of talk without any corrective actions’ to fix real problems.

The gender gap statistic is created by a feminist organization using strange questionable criteria for its results, hardly a reasonable guideline.

Rwanda - one of the poorest countries in this world - is higher in its ranking than Switzerland, Philippines higher than Canada, and Japan is set about the same level as Guatemala and Burkina Faso.

Zimbabwe has a higher ranking than Australia - this is ridiculous...

@Yohan

I think the coronavirus response was one of the moments where many of us could realise that "rich" doesn't mean "good". A country's GDP isn't directly linked to gender equality (or any equality for that matter).

Rwanda, for example, is one of the most progressive countries in Africa. Arguably, its progress in the last 25 years is unparalleled in the world. Switzerland, on the other hand, gave women the right to vote only in the 1970s, which could mean inequality is still entrenched.

Japan ranking this low isn't a reflection of how the society is doing in general. Public health, for example, tends to be linked to GDP. However, the disproportionate difficulties that people of various genders face are not.

Yohan whooo, feminists organised using strange criteria? You do realise the whole point is they have little or no power in decision making? Let alone their lives, ditched by men with no support for themselves and their children? Comparing other countries to the number 3 richest nation seems odd to say the least. Japan should be better. Do you really believe women are a secret society that manipulates data? Maybe I don’t have enough tinfoil hats on my head. I will review the thickness, damn my wife has hidden the tinfoil you might be right.

....single mother households and unmarried women are particularly struggling 

Nobody is forcing a woman in Japan to become a single mother, also most women are unmarried because of choice, they are often overdemanding and picky - there are plenty of lonely men in Japan looking for a female friend, for long-term relationship and marriage.

Men outnumber by far women committing suicide, the majority of homeless people are men, men also get a much longer prison sentence in case of crimes, men die earlier than women and often retire many years later than women, labour accidents - clearly more men than women, health care - much more money is spent for women than for men ....and not only in Japan, but nobody cares.

About poor and oppressed women, take a look into any major expensive department store in Japan - the first floor from entrance on is full with cosmetics, brand items, jewelry and other articles for women only. Second floor, full with clothes and shoes for women only, third floor other articles for females like handbags, healthy food supplements, for leisure ladies golf etc. and now tell me who pays for that all if women are so short of money.

It must be a business, otherwise department stores would not care so much about selling articles for females....

Of course there are Japanese women who are badly treated, helpless, sick, poor, jobless - but nobody can deny that there are also many rich Japanese women. How is this so different with the situation of men? Some men are rich, bot there are also some who are poor...

ZorotoToday 12:26 pm JST

Sorry for your bad experience, but contrary to your popular belief, most foreign men in Japan are not exactly choice partners.

I have no idea from where you got the impression that I am talking about foreign men in Japan.

Where did I say I have bad experience in Japan?

I was talking about Japanese men in general and of course not all foreign men (and foreign women too) entering Japan are fitting into Japanese society. About myself, originally from Europe, I am in Japan since more than 40 years, with my Japanese family of course, never divorced...

The feminist mindset that all Japanese women are poor and so oppressed is however totally wrong.

There are quite a lot of Japanese women who are clearly financially very good off. Nobody can deny this.

Also many Japanese women are single by their own choice. They have no intention to marry.

YotomayaToday 11:48 am JST

@Yohan

*I think the coronavirus response was one of the moments where many of us could realise that "rich" doesn't mean "good". A country's GDP isn't directly linked to gender equality (or any equality for that matter).*

Rwanda, for example, is one of the most progressive countries in Africa. 

To be 'rich' is surely 'good' in case of any medical emergency - regardless if you are a man or a woman. Medical assistance is always available if you have money and additionally a good health insurance. Compare Japan and its health care system with Philippines where the slogan is 'pay cash or die early'.

As far as I can see, Rwanda - which you call to be one of the most progressive countries in Africa - offers nothing to women and to men too - an income of USD 830,- per year - while Switzerland which is so oppressive to women offers an average USD 85.500,- per year per person.

Maybe ask women worldwide where they prefer to live if they have a choice, in Rwanda or in Switzerland.

Many women who are living in poverty worldwide will agree it is better to feel comfortable and oppressed than poor and 'free' - many Filipino women for example are dreaming every day to get permission to move over from Philippines (rank 17) to Japan (rank 120).

Go to Philippines, ask them!

P. SmithToday 07:38 am JST

The real issue with improving women’s place in Japanese society is that many women enjoy being “housewives,” so have zero interest in change.

Which is more difficult: having to wake up at a given time and go earn money or having an entire day to clean a tiny house? Hint: whilst cleaning house, you can nap whenever you get fired or enjoy your favorite daytime television show. Not so much at a place of employment.

You understand Japanese life and the mindset of Japanese people very well.

This is about the situation for many families in Japan, the man is out most of the time and tries to earn money - as it was the same for me too up to retirement - while the wife is doing anything else to support him, from housework, children, elderly care, shopping, etc. what you need for your daily life...

Of course if you stay together, the income of the man is higher than those of the wife, but if you share it, it is easily enough for both of them.

A person working full time in a good company in Japan brings clearly more money home than two person working part-time... no question about that. Of course this is not done with only 20 hours per week x 2 (man and wife) and after going home. To work as a regular employee 60 or even 90 hours per week is not so rare in Japan and - and so it was for me too. My income was very good (but over many years no time for anything else but working in the company) and my Japanese wife had indeed a zero interest to change that. She was also busy, the house was not so small, and 3 elderly people and 2 minor children were living in the same rooms.

To be 'rich' is surely 'good' in case of any medical emergency - regardless if you are a man or a woman.

That's exactly the point I was making. However...

As far as I can see, Rwanda - which you call to be one of the most progressive countries in Africa - offers nothing to women and to men too - an income of USD 830,- per year - while Switzerland which is so oppressive to women offers an average USD 85.500,- per year per person.

This is irrelevant as it gives us no information on the distribution of this income (which is only a part of the picture anyway).

First of all, it's condescending to assert that life in all countries of the global South is terrible for everyone. As an African myself, it's something I hear way too often. Second of all, even if a country is poor, their society might be less patriarchal not in spite of but exactly because of a lack of industrialisation.

The gap is between rich and poor, not between genders. Do you think, that lady being here olympic boss now, would have got the job from former PM Mori such easily if it really was so bad with that gender ranking? But she is now surely richer as all males commenting here altogether.

@ P. Smith The real issue with improving women’s place in Japanese society is that many women enjoy being “housewives,” so have zero interest in change.

Agree. Most women that have children would rather be housewives and take care of the children than work full-time. Not many househusbands in any country.

In official circles, the suicide ‘problem’ is viewed essentially for what it is; disguised eugenics.

Gender inequalities will not change until the Japanese society stop separating the Yellow hats from the Pink hats. The inequalities starts when the children first start school, where they learn the mindset of differences in behavioral patterns and role playing, what they learn is expected and these expectations carry on all the way into the society and becomes in grained and accepted as a way of life.

@Yotomaya

WHERES THE LOGIC? Make no mistake. The ones in charge see gender equality (and any form of social justice) as a concept imposed by the West. Most women who do manage to attain positions of power are opportunists who use their gender to tokenize themselves and whose policy proposals are often more conservative than those of their male counterparts. IF the "ONES" in charge see gender equality (and any form of social justice) as a concept imposed by the West Japanese women would have more leading roles besides being MOM, and housewives. Your logic proves why men in Japan don't want to see a women other than what they are now. Don't blame the West blame the culture.

@Yohan

I some what agree with part of your post but what I don't agree with is when you posted "Nobody is forcing a woman in Japan to become a single mother, also most women are unmarried because of choice, they are often over demanding and picky - there are plenty of lonely men in Japan looking for a female friend, for long-term relationship and marriage". I don't think there is a women in Japan who wants to be a poor broke and lonely SINGLE MOTHER! Your post instead of saying "SOME" are unmarried or single by choice that I can agree with and that is because you have plenty of lonely men in Japan looking for a female friend, for long-term relationship and marriage but expect the wife to be the maid, the mother and to play a role. The only reason you can also say is by choice that these lonely men in Japan looking for a female friend, for long-term relationship and marriage is a by product of a system they the male dominated society created. The women can only fit in where they can get in their choices are limited while the lonely old man you described has every advantage, the choice is up to him!

May I suggest the difference during the pandemic has been between seishain and casually employed workers? Most women are casually employed, so they have fared worse than men on the whole, but mostly due to their employment situation, not specifically their sex/gender.

I would imagine that most female seishain have fared better during Covid-19 than most men who are casually employed. If they haven't, or if they have fared much worse than male seishain, if female bonuses have been cut much more than male bonuses for example, then yes, the gender gap has widened.

Much Ado about Nothing.