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Japanese women face a future of poverty, as confluence of factors conspire against them

A child and her mother look at a diorama of Tokyo at night made by Lego A/S toy bricks at the Lego Land Discovery Center Tokyo in the capital in June 2012. A confluence of factors that include an aging population, falling birth rates and anachronistic gender dynamics are conspiring to damage women's prospects for a comfortable retirement. | BLOOMBERG

Bloomberg

Jan 12, 2020

At first glance, things seem to be getting better for Japanese women.

In an economy that's historically lagged other developed nations when it comes to female workforce participation, a record 71 percent are now employed, an 11 point leap over a decade ago.

The government boasts one of the most generous parental leave laws in the world and recently created a "limited full-time worker" category aimed primarily at mothers looking to balance job and family. And one of the most important needs for working families — child day care — is slowly being expanded.

Japanese women face a future of poverty, as confluence of factors conspire against them

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