In Japan, women are held responsible for the declining birth rate

In 2022 Japan saw its number of births drop, stabilizing less than 800,000. Figures that alarm the Japanese government, the country with the second oldest population in the world, but also the highest rate of women over 50 without children in the OECD, as noted Madame Figaro.

A trend that according to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would threaten Japan’s ability to do so “operate as a company”. Thus, the overall aging of the population is attributed to Japanese women.

A women’s fault

For many months, many articles chastise women who have no children. Even on the part of politicians the discourse is escalating. One of the ruling party figures said the number one cause of the falling birth rate was women marrying too late.

However, according to the researchers, this declining birth rate is attributed to several factors. In particular, economic conditions, believing that the country’s low growth discourages couples from having children. Or even a still too complex childcare modality, the country has very few babysitters.

The women’s response

Faced with these repeated attacks against women, it is on social media that many of them are responding. ” Don’t blame women for the low birth rateé,” tweeted Ayako, a 38-year-old childless Japanese woman who advocates online recognition of “various choices” of life, he reported toFrench media agency.

Several hashtags that have gone viral denounce the fact that mothers take care of the children themselves, but they also complain about the applications to enroll in kindergartens that have been rejected. But this has had little impact outside the social network, the professor points out.

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For this reason, concrete actions have been implemented. The Prime Minister has so promised financial aid for families, easier access to childcare and more parental leave. These measures could raise birth rates, but often “temporary”notes Takumi Fujinami of the Japan Research Institute.