For Japan, Program of Women’s Empowerment Spurs Economic Growth

A series of successful reforms that have improved opportunities for women in Japan’s private and public workforces should help bring the country out of its economic doldrums: So said Masako Mori, a member of Japan’s upper legislative house and a former cabinet minister under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

SIPA welcomed Mori on May 1 for a discussion of women’s leadership in Japan. Mori, who rose from a childhood of some deprivation to become a driving force for women in her home country, is also one of its most prominent female leaders. She served for almost two years as a minister of state responsible for gender equality and women’s empowerment and also sits on the committee charged with rebuilding of her native Fukushima prefecture in the wake of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

In introductory remarks, Professor Takatoshi Ito stated quite plainly of Mori: “I want to emphasize she’s a rising star…. She has many fans, and I’m one of them.”

Women’s empowerment plays a clear role in Japan’s strategy for economic growth, Mori said.

The combination of stay-at-home women and decreasing population had contributed to Japan’s recent economic difficulties, she said. OECD has suggested that greater participation in the workforce by women would benefit Japan’s international performance, while Goldman Sachs found specifically that reforms could boost Japan’s national performance by up to 13 percent.

Adding women in the workplace could also help reverse a declining birthrate; as minister, Mori expanded the use of demographic studies, which showed countries with higher labor participation of women have a higher birthrate and that adoption of policies beneficial to women had reversed declines.

Mori enumerated nine obstacles that had traditionally worked against the employment and advancement of women, including inadequate parental leave policies; lack of child care and other support for working parents; the mindset of business leaders; the public sector’s poor example; and more. She then explained how each had been addressed through a combination of new laws, policies, tax treatment, and corporate cooperation.

Within the public sector, Mori said, one technique that proved especially effective was to distribute grades to cabinet ministers based on how many women served in management positions and on expert committees. As a result, many sincerely took up the challenge of promoting women, and the number of women in managerial positions in government increased threefold.

Private companies in Japan also now have more women executives than before, among them the nation’s first female CEO. Child-care benefits are now higher than in France and on par with Sweden. The number of places in in day care (for preschool children) and after-school programs have been increased significantly, with plans to add more. Women and men alike are taking advantage of parental leave.

“We are building structures to support women through every stage of their life, including support for improved work/life balance” for women and men alike.

Abe’s support for women’s empowerment in Japan has been essential, Mori said. She recalled his remarks to the UN last year, in which he said he aspired to make Japan a society in which women shine and to make women’s equality a guiding principle for Japan’s government. Hosting the 2015 World Assembly for Women is a sign of Japan’s progress, said Mori, adding that additional efforts are keyed to a timetable leading to the 2020 Olympics, which will take place in Tokyo.

On hand for Abe’s recent speech to the U.S. congress in Washington, Mori noted that the loudest ovation came when the PM referred to women’s progress in Japan.

“I was moved when congresswomen rose to support him,” she said.

In her opening remarks Mori explained how, after marrying and having a child, “I saw many pebbles in my way that were invisible to Japanese men, including my husband. I decided to spray these pebbles in colors to show them and help the advancement of women in professions and Japanese society.”

Mori revisited the metaphor as she concluded her presentation:

“We’ve begun to spray paint and remove the glass pebbles," she said. “We’re determined to put the deflationary past behind us and ensure that the role of women, and Japan’s economy continue to shine.”

The program, entitled "Challenges of Womenomics: Enhancing Women's Leadership in Japan," was sponsored by Columbia SIPA and Columbia Business School's Center on Japanese Economy and Business.