Solutions

1-1. Efforts of the Japanese Government to Prevent Childbearing and Childrearing

Turnover
・Enactment of laws : for example, there is a “short-time work system”. This is a system that
allows mothers and fathers raising children under 3 years of age to reduce their prescribed
daily working hours by up to 6 hours if they wish to do so. There is a system, which can be
used in conjunction with former one, that allows mothers raising children under one year of
age to request time twice a day (at least 30 minutes each) to devote to childcare.(c.f.
https://bowgl.com/woman-turnover/). Regarding maternity support, so-called maternity
leave is divided into prenatal leave and postnatal leave. These leaves are guaranteed by the
Labor Standards Law. However, no wages are paid during these periods (paid leave may be
taken during prenatal leave).

1-2. The Japanese Government's Efforts to Reduce the Wage Gap

・”Visualizing the gap”. Disclosure of gender wage gap
became mandatory for companies with 301 or more employees from July 2022.(c.f.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000091025.html).

2-1. Efforts of Japanese companies to Prevent Childbearing and Childrearing Turnover

・The Kyoto shinkin bank
This company introduced a “career partner system” that allows employees who have left the
company due to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, etc. to return to work within five years with
the same benefits they had when they left.(c.f. 2017_07.pdf (mhlw.go.jp))
・

2-2. Efforts of Japanese companies to Reduce the Wage Gap

・Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd.
(1) One-on-one advice to female employees who are candidates for management positions
One-on-one training was provided to female employees who were candidates for managerial
positions, with executives acting as mentors to give them advice on the attitudes and work
skills necessary to become managers, in an effort to increase their confidence.
(2) Encouragement male employees to participate in training on how to work
In parallel with (1), male employees are actively encouraged to participate in training on work
styles to change their awareness. For example, they have learned that giving consideration to
female employees raising children, such as reducing their workload without checking with
them, may actually lead to unintentionally taking away women's jobs within the company.
As a result of these efforts, the ratio of male to female employees is almost half, but the
percentage of female managers has increased from 10% in 2014 to 25% by 2023 (the Japanese
average is 12.7%).
(c.f. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20230731/k10014148061000.html)