Transcript of the Association of Japanologists seminar “Is Japan Approaching Gender Equality?”, January 23, 2025, MGIMO University

In the world ranking of gender inequality by the World Economic Forum, Ja pan fell from the 80th place in 2006 to the 114th in 2017 and the 118th in 2024. Although this ranking is somewhat arbitrary, it shows that the problem of gender inequality in the country is far from being resolved. Despite the significant increase in the level of education of Japanese women, in many areas of life, their role is much more modest than that of men. Since the late 1980s, the government has been taking measures to change the situation, but, so far, there has been no drastic progress. Gender asymmetry is particularly acute in areas such as economics and politics. At the same time, it is impossible not to see the huge changes taking place in society and directly or indirectly affecting the position of women. This is manifested in a departure from the customary values, traditionally perceived as the basis for the formation of Japanese society. Although there is still strong traditionalism in culture and dominant patriarchal masculine attitudes in the public consciousness, a revision of gender stereotypes and roles is ta king place. Marital and family relations are gradually losing their importance, the institution of marriage is experiencing a certain crisis, the scale of conflicts between representatives of different generations is expanding, and there is an increase in social apathy among young Japanese, which is manifested, among other things, in a decrease in their interest in the opposite sex and marriage. This leads to a drop in the birth rate, an increase in the age of marriage, and a reduction in the number of children in the family. Among young Japanese women, the proportion of those who, having received good education, strive for professional growth, is growing, but this presents them with a difficult choice — marriage and family, or career, since it is extremely difficult to combine a full-fledged job with the burden of family responsibilities. This situation manifests itself in the pattern of Japanese women's participation in the economy, characterized by a sharp decline in the proportion of permanent workers among them after the age of 30 (the age of marriage and childbirth).