Women still underemployed despite push for equality
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants women like Tomo Tamai to go back to work.
Tamai is eager to do so, nearly two years after her first child was born, but so far the 35- year- old former national government employee has only been able to find an internship.
Abe, who took office a year ago, has made the advancement of women a pillar of his economic revival policies . Tamai’s struggles show why doubts remain about whether it’s enough to overcome entrenched discrimination
in the workplace.
“It is a bunch of flag- waving,” said Tamai, who holds a doctorate in literature . “I don’t see how he has the vision to realize the goal of helping us, those people struggling to raise a child, working and doing housework.”
The government is beefing up child care. It is encouraging companies to grant three years of maternity leave, or flexible hours during that period. It is also asking publicly held companies to promote women to leadership positions .
Although women make up 40 per cent of Japan’s workers, they face discrimination in hiring, promotion and pay. On average, a Japanese woman makes
70 per cent of a man’s wage for equal work, according to government data.
“Most major companies are not serious about utilizing the talent of women,” said Junko Fukasawa, a senior managing director at Tokyo job- referral company Pasona Group, which is unusual in having three women on its 11- member board. “They are very male- dominated.”
More than 300 companies surveyed by Keidanren, an organization representing Japan’s top 1,300 companies, promised to abide by Abe’s call for child care, flexible hours and awareness training. But no major company has responded with a high- profile female posting .