Transforming Japan: How Feminism and Diversity Are Making a Difference
Language: English
Pages: 560
ISBN: 1558616993
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Amusement Trades Law (Art. 4) if registered, but also well underground; “delivery health” dispatches workers directly to customers by phone orders, hence, has no need to have anything publicly visible, perhaps other than a car and a mobile phone. This type of business is known for its danger, as it isolates the worker with an unknown customer in a closed space under unknown conditions, from which it is difficult to escape once dispatched. In practice, the law has thus far backfired on the worker,
civil code, which, as mentioned earlier, would give married coupes the option of retaining separate surnames. Mizuho Fukushima, leader of one of the DPJ’s coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party, who was appointed Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Social Affairs, and Gender Equality in the Hatoyama cabinet, had long advocated these measures (see profile of Fukushima in chapter 25 of this volume). Fukushima’s tenure in the Hatoyama Cabinet was cut short when Hatoyama
at this time, within two years her experience would change. She describes how it happened that she became involved in local ward elections. For one thing, her children had grown a bit older, and hence she was able to get more involved: “One of the Seikatsu Club board members was running for office in the local ward assembly, and so I started doing things like putting up posters and making announcements from campaign car loudspeakers. I had become aware of the glaring lack of women represented in
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare found that divorced mothers accounted for a majority—79.7 percent, as opposed to widowed—9.7 percent, and unmarried mothers—6.7 percent (Koseirodosho 2007). The divorce rate declined temporarily around 1990, rose again to reach an estimated 290,000 in 2003, and is again declining slightly (Koseirodosho 2004). Approximately 60 percent of divorced couples have children, and in 80 percent of these cases the mother has assumed custody. According to statistics of
children (Koseirodosho 2003). Even though 84.5 percent of single mothers work, their income is low. Housing also presents a major problem. Only 34.7 percent of single mothers own their homes (Koseirodosho 2007). Many live in public housing and a large proportion of their household budget goes toward rent. In cities, public housing is not as readily available to single mothers, as there is greater competition. As their general income is low, many single mothers are barely at subsistence levels.