Japan's female politicians showing the way forward on maternity harassment
Since July 12, when Lower House lawmaker Takako Suzuki announced she was pregnant with her first child, the news media has been full of stories about "maternity harassment." Suzuki's announcement was met with negative comments posted to her blog. Some people believe she cannot be ...
Labor bureaus to streamline corporate harassment complaint desks
The labor ministry moves to improve its response to the growth in workplace harassment by unifying all complaint desks at its labor bureaus nationwide.
Growing up to the idea of fighting back
Psychologist Toshio Kawai has an interesting hypothesis. We may, he says in an article written for the Asahi Shimbun's Globe, be entering an age when "becoming an adult will not be necessary." What makes an adult an adult? Autonomy, the ability to stand on one's ...
'Maternity harassment' victims assail lack of protection for pregnant working women
Female workers who experienced workplace discrimination and bullying when they were pregnant have called on the government to live up to its promise to stamp out what is known in Japanese as matahara, or "maternity harassment." In a reflection of conservative Japan's staunch "men at ...
U.S. ‘matahara’ activist calls U.S. award 'encouragement' to working women, says more must be done
The Japanese recipient of a U.S. government award for contributions to female empowerment says more needs to be done in Japan to advance her cause.
Japan's culture of overtime thwarts Abe's plans for more working moms
Hiroko Yano, who's worked 20 years at the same company, was recently told she could become a manager. The mother of three, who puts in an average of two hours of overtime a day, rejected the idea, saying she doesn't want to be stuck ...
