About nine years ago, Hakuo Yanagisawa, the former health minister of Japan, blamed his country's shrinking population on the finite number of women - or, as he called them, "birth-giving machines."
"All we can do is ask them to do their best per head," he asserted in a gaffe heard around the world, reinforcing gender stereotypes that still gripped Japan: Men earned money, while women belonged at home.
Recent data, however, reflects a startling shift: Japanese women now outpace American women in participation in the labor force. Sixty-four percent of working-age women in Japan are employed, compared with 63 percent of American women.
The Japanese employment rate surged in recent years as the rate in the United States declined and then stagnated. The numbers may confuse casual observers, especially those who recall Yanagisawa publicly defining women by their fertility in the not-so-distant past. And for generations, American women led the developed world in female employment. So, what happened?
Economists don't know for sure. The culprit could be a combination of changing attitudes toward mothers at work in Japan and relatively limited support for mothers at work in the United States.
In 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would prioritize gender equality in the workplace, calling it vital to sustained economic growth. Among his goals: to raise the share of mothers who return to work after the birth of their first child to 55 percent by the year 2020, which he believes would boost the country's gross domestic product by 15 percent. A 1999 report from Kathy Matsui, Goldman Sachs's first female partner in Japan, fueled the idea, dubbed Womenomics.
"Japan is a country with a shrinking population caused by a seemingly intractable decline in its birthrate," Abe wrote in a 2013 Wall Street Journal op-ed. "But Womenomics offers a solution with its core tenet that a country that hires and promotes more women grows economically, and no less important, demographically as well."
Meanwhile, the recovery in the United States has been painfully slow, especially for women.
Roughly 8.7 million jobs vanished during the most recent recession. Since the downturn ended, however, men have encountered less trouble getting back to work, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Between February 2010 and June 2014, men gained 5.5 million jobs, while women gained 3.6 million.
Economist Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women's Policy Research, blames this on a blend of forces: The United States doesn't offer family-friendly workplace policies, such as paid family leave or sick days, and the gender wage gap hasn't budged much in a decade.
"The question is, why didn't we continue to make upward progress?" Hartmann said. "That's partly because women don't feel like they get a fair break in the labor market."
One thing Japanese women have that many American workers lack is financial help for new mothers. They receive 58 weeks of maternity leave, 26 of which are paid. Fathers are entitled to the same amount of time off, though less than 2 percent actually take it.
Abe has also pledged to create 400,000 day-care spaces nationwide by 2018. Parents also receive a "child allowance" from the government, implemented and recently doubled to "reduce the economic burden" on families.
Parents in the United States receive no such benefits unless their employers supply it. An estimated 43 million American workers, mostly those at the bottom of the pay scale, report having no access to paid leave. Economists say that's one reason the United States has been trailing other countries in the quest for a work-life balance. A growing body of research shows that mothers, far more than fathers, are forced to scale back at work or quit, even if they need the income.
In 1990, the women's labor force participation rate, for ages 25 to 54, was 74 percent, the sixth-highest among 22 of the world's most advanced economies. By 2010, as other countries adopted and expanded family-friendly workplace policies, American women slid to 17th place - "a stunning reversal," wrote Cornell University researchers Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn.
"Such policies likely facilitate the labor force entry of less career-oriented women," the authors concluded. "On the other hand, entitlements to long, paid parental leaves . . . may encourage women who would have otherwise had a stronger labor force commitment to take part-time jobs or lower-level positions."
Blau and Kahn argued that there was a mixed outcome: Women in countries with these government mandates could more easily stay in the workforce, but some met discrimination from employers that barred them from promotions. For example, a young woman in a job interview might hear, "Do you expect to have children soon?"
No one policy fix can vanquish unconscious biases that affect hiring decisions, experts say. But talking about the importance of attracting and retaining female workers across all levels, as Japan's Abe does, could encourage progress, Hartmann said.
There's incentive for governments worldwide to back that mission: "Getting more women to work outside the home does grow GDP," she said.
In the 1970s, for example, when more women and a surge of baby-boomer men entered the workforce, 65 percent of growth arose from workforce expansion, according to a McKinsey Global Institute report. Today, the study suggests, nearly 80 percent of growth comes from productivity increases - and American women still disproportionately remain on the economic sidelines.
The Washington Post
Thu Oct 08 2015
Japanese women now outpace American women in participation in the labor force. Sixty-four percent of working-age women in Japan are employed, compared with 63 percent of American women.
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.
Analysts: Indonesia's strong MoF leadership team to boost investor confidence
Sri Mulyani Indrawati as head of Indonesia's Ministry of Finance is expected to instil confidence among investors.
Biden offers both a carrot and a stick to Israel as his term nears an end
Israel has frequently resisted US advice and has caused political difficulties for the Biden administration.
Putin says BRICS will generate most of global economic growth
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a summit of the group in the city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24.
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.
NFOF will be operational in November 2024 with funding of RM1 bil
PM Anwar Ibrahim said NFOF will support venture capital fund managers to invest in startup companies with RM300 million set aside for 2025.