Shinzo Abe Vowed Japan Would Help Women ‘Shine.’ They’re Still Waiting.

As Shinzo Abe prepares to leave office, one of his more notable, unfulfilled promises includes promoting women in the workforce, a push he even gave a name: womenomics. Abe set out a goal of women holding 30 percent of corporate management jobs, but the number is currently only at 12. Also, while the overall percentage of women in the workforce has risen under Abe, many remain underemployed with few options for career advancement. The poverty rate for single mothers has also worsened under Abe's tenure. While Abe did shift the tone from previous leaders who declared a woman's place to be in the home, womenomics did little to improve the place of women in society. None of the three candidates vying to replace the Prime Minister are seen as likely to be better on the issue, but there is hope that the current front runner, Yoshihide Suga, will be more in tune with the fight for equity.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/world/asia/japan-women-abe.html

Anthony Grammich