The number of women in Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) has steadily increased in the 70 years since the SDF was established in 1954, with nearly all job and placement restrictions lifted across the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces. Recent years have also seen rapid improvements in working environments, including the creation of women's quarters within the SDF.
However, female recruitment has stagnated, and issues such as harassment prevention and a lack of promotion to senior positions remain significant hurdles.
As of the end of March 2024, women accounted for 8.9% of the 223,511 SDF personnel, or 19,961 individuals—approximately 1.6 times the number from a decade earlier. The government aims to raise that figure to 12% by fiscal 2030.
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