Gender inequality in Japan

[2] In the 2019 Gender Inequality Index report, it was ranked 17th out of the participating 162 countries, ahead of Germany, the UK and the US, performing especially well on the reproductive health and higher education attainment indices.

Between 1878 and 1883, when the Meiji government restructured the state, Japanese women's political and legal rights were significantly reduced.

This restructure paved the way for solidifying Japan's legal structure, but introduced new laws and terms regarding kōmin, "citizens or subjects," and kōken/ri, "public rights."

The idea of professionalism regarding this type of domestic labor is similar to any other profession, as it requires significant knowledge, skill, and at least partial autonomy.

In a 2013 poll, over 50% of twenty-year-old participants confirmed the traditional gendered labor division of men working outside the home and women within, which is even further enforced through tax policies regarding primary and secondary income sources.

[8] After paid work, the father would come home, spending most of his time eating or in non-social interactions such as watching TV with his family.

[9] Another term that became popular in Japan was the "relationship-less society",[10] describing how men's long work hours left little or no time for them to bond with their families.

Japanese society came to be one of isolation within the household, since there was only enough time after work to care for oneself, excluding the rest of the family.

[11] The “Feminism, Religion, and Peace Group” (フェミニズム・宗教・平和の会) was founded in 1986 and led by the late Okuda Akiko 奥田暁子 and Okano Haruko 岡野治子.

"[12] Gender roles in Japan are deeply entwined with the East Asian country's religious and cultural history.

Japan's most popular philosophy[citation needed], Confucianism, enforces gendered rules relating to fashion and public behavior.

In the Confucian tradition, women only receive education through middle school, and are taught to focus on being respectful, learning to cook, and taking care of children.

Only very few companies have antidiscrimination policies, thus derogatory comments about LGBTQ+ people are fairly common, and as such, many keep their identities and preferences a secret to avoid discrimination and harassment.

With national surveys finally including women, the Japanese government introduced the Equal Employment Opportunity Law (EEOL).

Before its enactment, women could generally only get labor-intensive jobs in poor working conditions, mostly on farms or in unsafe factories.

[24] Post-EEOL Japan began to see blue collar jobs fill up with machines, allowing women to have better opportunities elsewhere in society.

However, the DPJ made no reforms for further election or the prioritization of women in office, and due to poor performance, the party dissolved in 2017.

However, Japan ranks fairly well when it comes to adolescent birth rate and the percentage of the female population with some secondary education.

[38] The gender gap in employment and wages is becoming an increasingly serious problem, with Japan being the fastest aging country in the OECD.

There is a government policy that guarantees healthcare and pensions for spouses who make less than 1.3 million yen, or about $11,500, thus discouraging couples from both working.

[41] Job salaries and benefits are also heavily influenced by tenure and seniority, making it hard for women with families to advance in regular employment.

[47][48] Historically, male-dominated society was normal in general, and a part of the “Japanese culture.” Originally, politicians were mainly men, and they held the power all to their hands.

[49] An alternative theory, the Compensating Wage Differential hypothesis, states that women are not forced into these jobs per se, but instead that they pick and choose their occupations based on the benefits package that each provide.

[48] A study by Wei-hsin Yu shows that there is also a connection between wage raises if you are currently working in an environment that includes a majority of women.

[50] A competing theory from Mary Brinton suggests that the government is structured around devices that disallow women to find "good jobs.

"[47] A fourth key theory comes from Higuchi Keiko, which claims that changes in public policy are needed to encourage gender diversity in the workplace.

Secondly, many of men's social relations revolve around work, and at retirement these relationships disappear, which may impact their mental health.