The government of Japan is going to hold monthly meetings with women to hear their input on how the country should be run as part of a push to empower females in the traditionally male-dominated society.
The announcement comes after new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised to actively support Japan’s women in a speech earlier this month, saying that he’ll “review the systems that restrict women’s employment,” among other things. The PM also expressed a belief earlier that the government must stay in touch with the public to remain effective.
The initiative will be spearheaded by a former justice minister, Masako Mori, who had been recently appointed as Kishida’s special advisor in charge of women’s active participation in society.
Mori will travel around the country to meet with women and listen to their concerns and problems, a process designed to contribute to the cabinet’s new policies.
According to local media, the adviser plans to hear from women affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, single mothers, farmers, the self-employed, and elderly people who live alone.
The women-only talks are going to be held every month starting from January 2022, with the prime minister himself expected to take part in some of them.
This year, Japan ranked only 120th in the Global Gender Gap Index, which is published by the World Economic Forum and measures inequalities in access to resources and opportunities for men and women in various countries.
Despite women’s status improving in Japan in recent decades, the tradition of male favoritism still remains strong. There are some 64 million women in the country, compared to 61 million men. However, only half of the country’s women are employed, with the wage gap between sexes also remaining a problem.