Women in Corporate Japan

Introduction

Women have made impressive strides over the decades; however, many still face a gender bias in the workforce. This is especially seen in Japan, where men continue to heavily dominate the executive level ranks in corporate positions. While legislative measures such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Law has helped address the issue, the efforts will need to be accompanied by “fundamental changes in the male-centric workplaces in the private and public sectors alike” (Japan Times), and by a change in male attitudes.

Japan’s Business Culture

Karoshi, Death from Overwork

Japan is well known among developed countries for its distinct business practices, but also for the prevalence of phenomenons such as karoshi (literal translation of “death from overwork”). According to the National Police Agency of Japan, 24,025 people died from suicide in Japan in 2015. Reasons for suicide could be determined from 74.8% of the group, and data revealed that a whopping 2,159 individuals (12.0%) had committed suicide due to “work-related issues.” (294 Yamauchi).

The Glass Ceiling Phenomenon

Despite karoshi being a significant issue in Japan, the pervasiveness of gender inequality in the workforce is also clear. It is said to be particularly evident in senior managerial positions, as explained by the glass ceiling phenomenon, “an invisible ceiling blocking the entry of women into high-level positions in forms or organizations” (You). An example is seen in their employment of women scientists, as Japan is placed last among the 30 industrialized countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as women only make up 11.6% of the country’s research and development workforce (Normile).

Legal Framework in Japanese Companies

Sekuhara, Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment has been long accepted as part of a normal workplace environment for decades, as it was dismissed as a private matter between individuals and not explicitly forbidden by law. This is partly due to Japanese culture and its conformance to Confucian beliefs, which leads them to emphasize the importance in maintaining wa (harmony) in personal relationships and in business (813 Huen). However, when the first sexual harassment case was filed in the Fukuoka District Court in 1989, interest in the problem surged and led to a closer look at its repercussions. In October 1993, sexual harassment was officially described as being "unpleasant speech or conduct, by sexual references or connotations that create a difficult working environment” (818 Huen).

Equal Employment Opportunity Law (1997)

The Equal Employment Opportunity Law (EEOL) was amended in June 1997, and was the first piece of Japanese legislation that focused specifically on sexual harassment (812 Huen). This increased awareness of the prevalence of the issue, and prompted the Ministry of Labor to also issue a set of guidelines to define the scope of sexual harassment, and to put forth suggestions of possible procedures for companies to remedy any incidents (819 Huen).

Future Trends and Challenges

With 2016 marking the thirty-year point since the enactment of the EEOL, it is evident that female labor participation in Japan has since steadily increase and that outright discrimination against them in the workplace has been reduced. However, the numbers remain dismal, as “women today occupy a mere 9 percent of managerial positions in private-sector firms [despite accounting] for more than 40 percent of the employees” (Japan Times).

Sexual harassment is also an issue that contributes significantly to the overarching problem of gender inequality in the Japanese workforce. Progress has been made in implementing concrete measures to prevent sexual harassment in companies over the years, as 73% of large companies today have implemented policies as opposed to the 5.5% in 1997 (H821 Hues).

Nonetheless, the topic of sexual harassment will be continue to be a difficult topic to address as there is a lack of a strong regulatory body that can do so. While the Ministry of Labor has power under the EEOL to issue specific guidelines on sexual harassment, the rest is left to the corporations to draft their own sexual harassment policies and take responsibility (824 Huen).

Abe’s Womenomics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing for greater female labor participation, as he hopes that it will drag the economy out of stagnation — hence the word “womenomics,” a combination of women and economics. In fact, the Abe administration has recently brought forth a law that “requires businesses, government organizations to compile and publicly disclose plans to increase women in management” (Japan Times). More importantly, the Abe administration has mandated for firms with more than 300 employees to assess and disclose the ratio of women in managerial ranks. They are then required to set numerical targets to increase the number to meet the government target of women accounting for at least 15% (reduced from the 30% set in 2003) of leading positions at private sector companies and government organizations by 2020 (“Japan Times”).

With estimates that predict that the effect of closing Japan’s severe gender employment gap could potentially boost the country’s total output by 13%, it can be expected that Prime Minister Abe will continue pushing for his “womenomics” policies. (Financial Times)

References

Abe, Yukiko. “The Equal Employment Opportunity Law and Labor Force Behavior of Women in Japan.” Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, vol. 25, no. 1, 2013, pp. 39–55.

Fujioka, Toru. “Still A Struggle for Working Women.” The Japan Times, The Japan Times Ltd., 8 Apr. 2016. Huen, Yuki W. P. “Workplace Sexual Harassment in Japan: A Review of Combating Measures Taken.” Asian Survey, vol. 47, no. 5, Oct. 2007, pp. 811–827.

Lewis, Leo. “Japan: Women in the Workforce.” Financial Times, Financial Times, 6 July 2015.

Normile, Dennis. “Japan Mulls Workforce Goals for Women.” Science Journal, vol. 308, no. 5721, 22 Apr. 2005, p. 483. American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Yamauchi, Takashi, and Toru Yoshikawa. “Overwork-Related Disorders in Japan: Recent Trends and Development of a National Policy to Promote Preventive Measures.” Industrial Health, vol. 55, no. 3, 23 Jan. 2017, pp. 293–302.

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