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  • Chie Matsumoto, a network of women working in the media, Kaori Sakai, Central Executive Committee Chairman of the Japan Federation of Commercial Broadcasting Labor Unions, Mami Yoshinaga, Central Executive Committee Chairman of the Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers' Union, and Japan Federation of Commercial Broadcasting Labor Unions Hanako Kishida, Vice-Chair of the Women's Association, explained to overseas correspondent reporters about the Yoshiro Mori controversy and gender discrimination in the Japanese media at the Japan Foreign Correspondents Association, 10 February 2021, (Photo: Reuters/ Kazuki Oishi/Sipa USA).

    Despite increasing female labour force participation in Japan, social norms and institutional policies make it difficult for women to balance career aspirations with family responsibilities. This leaves women underrepresented in leadership roles, with more than half of women in non-regular or casual roles with poor salaries and job security. Addressing outdated policies that disincentivise women from work and career development, particularly those around tax and social security, could significantly increase female workforce participation rates and improve national productivity.

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Japanese women’s contribution to productivity stymied by outdated policies

The outdated fiscal system in Japan, which deters career building among women, significantly hinders women's economic participation and wage growth. This is despite women's labour force participation standing at an impressive 73 per cent. With the prospect of a severe labour shortage in the decades to come due to a decrease in the fertility rate, there is a dire need for rapid reform as current policies are no longer safeguarding low-income individuals and instead, inhibit women's productivity and wage growth.

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Female office workers wearing high heels, clothes and bags of the same colour make their way at a business district in Tokyo, Japan, 4 June 2019 (Photo: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon).

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