Another Plan to Tackle Japan’s Falling Birthrate

On 27th December 2005, the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi approved a gender equality plan and a series of measures to improve employment conditions for women.

The changes, known as the “female re-challenge plan,” are a response to Japan’s ever-declining birth rate, which has led to a fall in the Japanese population in 2005 for the first time since records began. (Click here for more details).

The plan aims to put more women in positions of leadership and encourage their return to work after maternity, and to strengthen existing laws.

Over two-thirds of Japanese women do not return to work after childbirth.

New measures include:

• Flexible hours and training programs for women who return to work after maternity
• Using vacant retail space for childcare centers
• Financial support for women entrepreneurs.

Although politicians are alarmed by the absence of women in the declining workforce, there are signs that Japan’s progress towards equality may be slow, with conservatives warning that Koizumi’s plan may be an attack on traditional values.