Japan's first guidelines on female empowerment were released Friday in an effort to get women to play a more active role in a society that customarily treats them less than equal and offers them fewer chances to advance in the workplace.
Acting on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent push for a society where "all women can shine," the guidelines state that the use of "female power" is essential to sustain growth at a time when the population is shrinking and rapidly graying, and call for a legal revision to force companies to prevent the maltreatment of pregnant women or mothers with young children.
They also call for bolstering efforts to increase the number of women in science and engineering, and for rewarding companies that promote a healthy work-life balance with preferential treatment for public contracts.