5 Powerful Reasons to Be a Woman in Japan

Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/5-powerful-reasons-to-be-_b_6381046

A writer recently wrote an article saying that Japanese women are very powerful. Do you agree with her?

1. In Japan, motherhood is a highly respected career.

• “A Japanese mother is 100 percent dedicated to raising her children” and is “ is expected to completely devote herself to taking care of her children in every way” (eg. cooking, cleaning, education)

• The mother must learn and follow all school rules (e.g. putting name tags on everything)

• Mothers must teach children to greet older people properly

2. Japanese women enjoy high global standards of education

• Many women still attend 2 year colleges . They can learn book-keeping and secretarial skills

• At these colleges they can major in subjects such as nutrition, childhood education, nursing, music and literature - subjects that aim to produce good mothers

3. In Japan, the woman holds the purse strings

• The husband must give his salary to his wife. She gives him pocket money (on average 50,000 yen a month)

• Wives often have a “secret” bank account

4. Japanese women enjoy greater maternity care support

• “There is no going home immediately after a woman has given birth. Instead, the mother is given 5 to 10 days in the maternity ward to rest and recover”

• “During this time, new mothers will be instructed, by professionals, on how to care for their newborns.”

• New mothers will often go back to their hometown to give childbirth, or their mother will come to stay with them

5. Women almost always get custody of the children in a divorce

• In Japan when a couple divorces, the child will stay with only one parent. “The parent who does not receive custody often never sees their child again.”

• “While visitation can be arranged informally among the parents, many women choose to not allow it.”