Six years have passed since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced plans to create a "Japan in which women can shine," urging more working mothers to take on leadership positions with pride.
But as the world marked International Women's Day on Friday, few women have taken on the challenges that remain firmly in place in Japan despite the womenomics policy adopted by Abe. Many continue to face hurdles that include entrenched social perceptions and a disproportionate burden in maintaining family homes.
According to a report released Thursday by the International Labour Organization to mark International Women's Day, the ratio of Japanese women in management and other leadership positions stayed stuck at 12 percent in 2018, while the ratio of women in those positions globally was 27.1 percent. Japan's figure remains the lowest among the Group of Seven nations, up just 3.6 points from 1991.