Gender Gap in Japan

I am Nagomi Katano, a high school student in Nagoya, Japan and Founder of “Infinite Identity”. The gender gap remains a persistent issue across the globe, with various countries facing distinct challenges in achieving gender equality. I lived in Japan for almost all of my life but never felt the gender gap in my own experience until I learned about it in high school. I was shocked by the gap that was existing outside of my school life. If I think about it now, the reason that I didn't feel the gap was because Japan provides equal opportunity for both genders in the educational system and that was the only community that I was in at that time. But growing up and becoming part of other parts of the society I started to feel and see the gap between men and women. That is when I realized that this issue is affecting a lot of people and wanted to address the current situation in Japan.

According to the latest gender gap rankings of the World Economic Forum released on June 20, 2023, Japan has dropped nine positions from the previous year and now ranks at 125th out of 146 countries. I am going to focus on two specific topics that I would like to share through this paper.

Global Gender Gap Report 2023

Gender Gap in Politics

In Japan's political scene, there's a big problem: not many women are part of it. Women don't have equal roles and decision-making jobs in politics, even though Japan is advanced in technology and important in the world. One reason is because of old ideas and what people expect from women in society. Another reason is that political parties mostly have men in charge, making it hard for women to become leaders. Young women also don't see many female role models in politics, which makes them less likely to join. This is a problem because it means the government doesn't represent all types of people, and it misses out on different ideas. Fixing this means changing rules, attitudes, and encouraging more women to take part in politics. According to the Cabinet Office Gender Equality Bureau, in 2023 although 51.7% of voters are women, the percentage of women in the House of Representatives is 10.0%, and the percentage of women in the House of Councilors is 26.0%. Also there are 24 local councils and 251 town and village councils without a single female member as well. Additionally, comparing the percentage to G7 countries on women in parliament, Japan scores the lowest rate at 9.9%.

Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office

Wage Gap

This wage gap is a concern because it shows that there's not an equal balance when it comes to paying people. Despite Japan being a modern and developed country, this issue of unequal pay persists. One reason for the wage gap is that women often end up in lower-paying jobs compared to men. This could be because of traditional ideas about women's roles in society. Another reason is that women might take time off work for things like maternity leave, and this can affect their earnings in the long run. Moreover, there are instances where women with the same qualifications and experience as men might still get paid less. The wage gap doesn't just affect individual women; it also impacts the economy as a whole. When women are paid less, it means they have less money to spend, save, and invest. This can slow down economic growth. Addressing the wage gap requires changes in how companies pay their employees, as well as a shift in cultural attitudes and government policies. It's important to work towards a fair and equal pay system where everyone, regardless of their gender, is paid based on their skills and contributions.

Goals