02. Issues Facing Japanese and Foreign Women and Children Living in Japan - Yuri Kawata

I. Introduction

In my zemi research this year , I focused on various issues affecting Japanese and foreign women and children. Now, there are still discrimination between man and women in Japan. For example, women face more difficulties to work than men because women should do childcare. Also, in urban areas, there are problems with availability of nursery schools and this problem also makes it difficult for women to work. In the second half of the year, I focused on foreign women and children living in Japan. I was able to visit to Kalakasan (an organization which mainly supports Filipino women and their children) and learned about Filipino women and played with children who came to Kalakasan. In this report, I will explain about three main issues, Japanese working women, children on the waiting list for daycare, and my experiences at Kalakasan.

II. Japanese working women

Gender gap

I researched about basic information of the gender gap in Japan and also I researched about differences between Japan, South Korea, and China.

Japan is the 2nd largest economy in the world but Japan ranks 101st/135 in global gender gap index [Closing Japan's Gender Gap]. Japanese working woman are still earning little more than half of what men earn. Also, there is big gender gap in politics and economy part. Another website said that, 90% of working women thinking it is difficult to balance work and childcare. In 1986, a law stipulating equal employment opportunities for men and women went into effect but it is not so effective for women. The ratio of women on the main career track still accounted for only 3.5% and salary doesn’t change. [working women in japan]

Differences between three countries

There are significant differences in the situation of working women between Japan, South Korea and China. China ranks 91st/135 in global gender gap index so this is high rank in Japan. This is because, China has the highest proportion of women as full-time employees, managers and top managers. South Korea ranks 115th/135 and this is because participation of women in the labor force is lower, and the tendency for women to discontinue working because of pregnancy and childcare is more conspicuous than in Japan.[ Are womenreally ‘shining’ in Japan? ]

Differences between women and men by job type.

Male workers are generally classified into two groups, namely high-level white collars engaged in specialist or management tasks and blue collar workers such as factory workers and those engaged in physical labor at construction sites. Amongst female workers, the most women hold a clerical or sales position, with very few engaged in a high level white collar job or physical work. Men can easy to get high position [can easily getting into higher ranking positions/higher level positions in companies/etc] because they can work long term. However, women have some reasons like pregnancy or childcare to stop working. Therefore, women have difficulties getting into high-level positions. Also, I researched about Noriko Kawamura who is women working in government. She and other female working in government have goals of increasing national government employee but it is not high number. Until now, each ministry decided to move women who has baby to a post not having over time work but this is not enough for women who has baby. [アベノミクスに乗り遅れるな－深夜勤務に別れ告げる女性官僚]

Working environment and social system regarding women in Japan and some activities for women by companies.

In 1974, The Labor Standard Law came into effect and required equal pay for equal value, as well as regulating the protection of women's reproductive health including menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth. In 1986, The equal employment opportunity law into effect, and in 1996 this law was revised. This law accelerated the legal backup of equal employment and prohibition of job discrimination against women was limited. In 1996, Basic Law for a gender equal society into effect and sets its goal of formation of a gender equal society where both women and men voluntarily in activities in all fields as equal partners in the society.

In Shiseido, there is gathering calledイクメンランチ(man who are taking care of one's baby have lunch together) . This is for the man to think about man taking child leaving. Also, there is きゃりなびランチ(women who are working have lunch together.) and this is for the women employee to make some community.[東洋経済ONLINE 初公開！「女性が働きやすい」トップ３００社]

III. Children on the waiting list for daycare

Today's situation of children on the waiting list for nursery schools and kindergarten

Many people know about anonymous blog which says “My child wasn't accepted at daycare, Die Japan!” I researched about how this blog influenced Japan. First Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that blog is anonymous there's no way to tell it's genuine. However, the anger of a lot of mothers who have a child on the waiting list for nursery school and kindergarten's anger erupted thus of this comment and Mr. Abe changed his stance. Now, there is 21,371 children were still waiting to enter nursery schools as of April 1st, 2014. One of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's aim is to reduce the number to zero by April 2018. [The Mainichi: Angryblog post puts focus on Japan’s serve day care storage.]

Which prefectures have a lot of children on the waiting list for nursery school?

The problem of children on the waiting list for nursery school is serious in urban area, like Tokyo, and Kanagawa but also in Okinawa. In 2013, Tokyo has 11,589 children are waiting for nursery school and in Kanagawa 1703 children are waiting for nursery schools. In Okinawa, 2307 children are waiting for nursery schools. Okinawa has own reason that to start making nursery school system is slow because of control by USA.

Nursery school teachers

The works of nursery school teacher is very hard and they can get only low wage. Government do some activity but the wage is not change and the number of nursery school teacher is not increase. [Japan’sNursery Teachers Flee Over Poor Pay, Adding to Labor Woes]

Differences between authorized nurseries and unauthorized nurseries

Authorized nurseries are cheap for parents because they get money from government. However, unauthorized nurseries’ costs are expensive. And there is some similar institution like unauthorized nurseries. There are certified day care center and nursery mummies. Unauthorized nurseries are one of the system for solve the children on the waiting list for nursery schools. One of the advantage for unauthorized nursery is easy to entered. We don’t have to wait. However, disadvantage is high cost because unauthorized nurseries didn’t have operating cost from government. Certified day care center is Tokyo’s original system and there is A and B type. A type is located at near the station and B type is small scale school. Nursery Mummies is the system for taking care of children in a career’s home.

IV. Kalakasan Migrant Women's Empowerment Center

Filipino Women in Japan

The number of Filipino in Japan are 187,261 people in 2006. 80% of them are women and 13,000 have spouse or child. Filipino women who is living in Japan have been referred to as “entertainers” who worked in the “sex abilities.” This is because of three causes. First, Japan’s discrimination against non white-women. Second, Lack of writing, reading, and speaking Japanese abilities. Third, these jobs are easy and fan jobs and high wage. However, now Filipino women changed their jobs to care services. This is because JAEPA pay attention to Filipino women.

Kalakasan

”The word “Kalakasan” means “Strength” in the Filipino language and Kalakasan is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the empowerment of migrant women and their children.”[Kalakasan] Kalakasan have 2 program that help women and children. There are 3 programs for women. The first is Crisis Intervention – Feminist Counseling (Telephone, Face to face), second is Follow up care for women such as home visits and third is Advocacy – Networking. Also, there are 4 Programs for Children. The first is multi-cultural lesson, second is mutual intercommunication activities, third is make free space, and forth is home visiting counseling.

Kalakasan’s crisis intervention

In 2012, 68 women and 6 men are involved. The most cases concern immigration and VISA problems and KALAKASAN has 34 conference in a year include 19 physical violence conference a year. Case involving children ranked the high and immigration related cases also ranked high. Case involving children such as recognition, acquiring Japanese nationality, custody and visiting rights were successful through the support of lawyers, child care centers, social welfare offices. Marriage procedures required support from embassy.

JFC network

This is the organization that protect human rights for Japanese-Filipino Children. They provide two kinds of support: legal support, and livelihood and education support. Legal support is locating Japanese Father, legal paternal recognition, child support, acquisition of Japanese nationality. Examples for Livelihood and educational support are tutor service and scholarship. This JFC network have program with Kalakasan for strawberry picking in May 2012.

Visiting Kalakasan

Nov. 13^th

This is my first visit to Kalakasan. We taught math and kanji to children and after studying we playing with them. Also, one mother have difficulty how to write ゆうき in the alphabet Yuuki or Yuki?

First, my image for children who come to Kalakasan is maybe not energetic. However, everyone who came to Kalakasan is very energetic and they are motivated for studying and playing. I could get some motivation from them.

Nov. 27^th

This is my second visit to Kalakasan. I visit Kalakasan with Aiさん and Mike.I taught Math to children and after that I played with them by Ayatori and drawing pictures. For this visiting, we thought it is difficult to balance playing time and studying time.

Dec. 10^th

On this day, Kalakasan have Christmas party.There are a lot of people than normal day and a lot of foods and drinks. We could have some games with everyone. I could talk with a lot of people, but I can’t talk about so serious things because they don’t want to talk serious things to outsider. I thought if I want to talk with them about serious things, I have to make deep trust with them. I knew people who have so serious situation couldn’t come to Kalakasan. Also, we thought, how to get jobs for women who is not a well learned person.

Yuri and Yuki at the Kalakasan Christmas party

V. Conclusion

For these research, I learned a lot of things which I never known before. First, for the Japanese working women government doing a lot of things but this is not enough for women like The Equal Employment Opportunity Law or Basic Law for a Gender-equal society.I have question for why women are minority because there are 1/2 of population. However, this is because of Japanese history and custom. Second, for the nursery school’s problem, we discussed which nurseries, authorized would you want your child to enter if you had one? Our discussion is conclude with authorized nursery is better because most important things for children is safety. Maybe, if these Japanese situation is not change, women who are living in urban area couldn’t back to their job and this promote declining birth rate. Third, for the Kalakasan, it is difficult to have trust with children by short time. It is important to visit many times and this is long term things. I want to visit more and have some communication with children and their mothers

VI. References