Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan, who died on July 8, played a significant role in upping women’s workforce participation in Japan through the concept of ‘Womenomics’.
The M-shaped curve is arrived at when the women’s workforce participation rate drops after a rise when women marry and have children. There is a rise again after they return to the workforce, creating the shape. Abe attempted to counter deep-seated societal flaws by alleviating the acuteness of the M-shaped curve.
Here are five highlights of the transformation he engineered:
- The womenomics scheme aimed at mobilizing the women in the country as an economic resource; it focused on workforce participation.
- It challenged the conventional system that relegated women to the role of homemakers.
- The scheme also addressed infrastructural barriers like inadequate childcare facilities by easing laws for more day-care centres to open.
- New laws ensured there was no gender discrimination in hiring.
- In 2020, the number of women hires in government management track positions was up to one-third when compared to under ¼th a decade ago.
