The United Nations Development Program's Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) tracks the progress of women's participation in politics and business. In 2007, Japan placed 131st out of 189 countries surveyed with respect to the occupation of parliamentary seats, with 9.4 percent representation by women. Overall, Japan ranked 54th out of 93 countries when representation in business was included. The 2006 GEM report ranks Japan 42nd out of 75 nations when women's participation in other important decision-making processes was factored in. These figures are dismal for a highly developed economy like Japan's.

Japan's basic legislation for gender equality is comparable to any other developed western nation's but this is not reflected in women's opportunities for promotion and active participation, or in the realization of "work-life balance". Japan's Cabinet Office, called the Naikakufu, conducts a gender equality survey every five years. The report for 2006 defines work-life balance as "a condition in which both men and women can conduct various activities, including work, family life, community life, and individual self-enlightenment, at each stage in their life in a way that conforms to their desires."

Statistical studies do show that there is a general trend over the long term that the stereotyped perception of gender roles in Japanese society is being adapted to a more modern style of thinking. However, according to the Naikakufu report 12.4 percent of Japanese men believe that a woman's place is in the home compared to only 3.1 percent of Japanese women but under the option to "somewhat agree" with this perception the percentages are higher by far for Japan than for any other developed nation - 28.7 percent for women and 34.1 percent for men. Almost half of Japanese men basically still think that a woman's place is in the home (6 percent of women and 7.4 percent of men had no answer).

There is an unfair distribution between ordinary working women and managerial-level women in Japan. Curiously, this is a situation shared only by France among the developed European nations. Even though 40.1 percent of ordinary workers in Japan are women, only 10.1 percent of managerial positions are occupied by women. The figures for France are even more distressing, with 45.6 percent of the ordinary labor force represented by women who occupy only 7.2 percent of managerial positions. For all other developed nations with the exception of Korea the numbers

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Japanese views on gender roles?
We want to hear your view. Write now!