A government advisory council on social security is considering a proposal to split company-retirement pensions between husbands and wives. The primary aim is to guarantee pension rights for full-time housewives (those not working part time) in recognition of their household work and other duties such as child care. In this sense, the proposal can be regarded as a step in the right direction.

Yet separate payments would offer only a partial solution to pension reform, for the proposal does not address the question of how to ensure fairness in imposing premium burdens. The current pension system favors full-time housewives over working women, married or not. A wholesale review of the system, including premium burdens, is thus in order.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the separate payment plan would require splitting the proportional pension -- which varies with salary -- equally between husband and wife. (The basic pension, to which the proportional pension is added, is already divided.)