International
Japan to promote gender equality in jobs ---------------------------------------------- Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (Tokyo):
The Japanese government has endorsed a set of measures to put more women in top government posts, and provide more support for working mothers.
The plan was approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, and aims to raise the level of women recruited to top government careers from 21.5 per cent at present to about 30 per cent by fiscal 2010.
It allows women working full-time in the central government to work shorter hours while raising children or caring for family members, and urges male civil servants to take paternity leave.
Follow-up plan
The plan is a follow-up to the government's Gender Equality Basic Plan, which was first introduced in 2000.
It also urges companies to rehire women who left their jobs after giving birth.
The government will come up with more measures to support female entrepreneurs, by providing information on how to start a business and introducing mentors.
Declining numbers
The endorsement comes as the nation faces a declining birth rate, hitting a record low in 2004 of 1.29 children per woman.
Japan also faces a serious labor shortage in the coming years, prompting discussions of bringing more female workers and immigrants into the work place.
Gender equality is a major issue in Japan, where men hold most of senior managerial jobs.
Japan ranks 43rd among 80 countries in the Gender Empowerment Measure index of the United Nations Human Development Report 2005. (AP)