As a woman, I am worried about my future. The issue over mothers juggling work life and homemaking remains an unresolved issue.
In addition to low rates of job acceptance after giving birth, many children are wait-listed just to get into a kindergarten, which is such a burden for working mothers. The problem escalates if you are a single mother, as financial capability decreases in spite of additional responsibilities.
It has been reported that one in three married couples get divorced in Japan today, and women tend to be the ones who take care of the children by themselves — so why is Japanese society still reluctant about creating a "women-friendly" environment?
This problem goes hand in hand with the aging of society. Some articles and surveys taken of women have shown that if the workplace environment became friendlier toward mothers, and the child care institutions further improved, women would be more likely to give birth to more children.
If the government and society of Japan decide to tackle this issue, I believe that the women of the next generation will be able to comfortably give birth, and also not have to give up their job for their children.
Not only this, but by providing a friendlier environment for women, I believe that more women will be motivated to give birth to children, further contributing to easing the problem of the graying of Japan's society.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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