INTERVIEW: Rengo Head Urges Wide-Ranging Changes for Gender Equality

Tokyo, Feb. 4 (Jiji Press)--Changes must be made across a wide range of settings to overcome deeply rooted gender roles and achieve gender equality, Tomoko Yoshino, president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, the umbrella organization for labor unions in the country, said in a recent interview.

"We need to take gender equality more seriously in the economic sector," said Yoshino, who became the first female leader of the group, known as Rengo, in 2021.

In Japan, the proportion of women in management positions is low and the number of women who rise through ranks to become board directors is small, Yoshino said. "It's disappointing...despite an increase in dual-income families and women's increased participation in the workforce."

"There is deep-rooted awareness and customs of gender roles in Japan, and women often bear responsibilities as a wife, daughter-in-law or daughter," she said. "In the workplace, women often perform tasks such as making tea, doing miscellaneous tasks and providing support."

The Rengo head also pointed out that women are disproportionately forced to suspend their careers due to their spouses' job relocations.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]