Local governments have been cautious in setting goals for appointing women to managerial posts, a Kyodo News survey has found.

Kyodo News sent questionnaires to a total of 1,788 heads of the nation's 47 prefectures, 790 cities, 745 towns, 183 villages and Tokyo's 23 wards in mid-January, with 1,776 replying by mid-February.

Just 18.8 percent of the respondents said they have set goals. A further 12.2 percent said they intend to set them while 67.6 percent — mainly small municipal bodies in towns and villages — said they have no such plans.