2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Study on Realities, Backgrounds and Solutions of Gender Gap in Employment in the United Kingdom Compared with Japan
| Project/Area Number |
16510209
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Gender
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| Research Institution | Kochi National College of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
IKEYA Eriko Kochi National College of Technology, Dept. of General Studies, Professor (30249867)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2006
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| Keywords | Gender / Economic Geography / Gender Gap / Cross-national research / Employment / Falling birthrate / Parity of treatment / Coexisting support |
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| Research Abstract |
In 1980th, both countries had M-figure curves that revealed decreasing rates in female employment at age of late 20th and 30th Beginning of 21st century, M-figure curve disappeared in the U.K., but M-figure curve remains in Japan. In the U.K. mothers with small children got jobs, gender pay gap became narrower and women got more senior or professional jobs.
Backgrounds of these facts in the U.K. are following. 1. Feminization of labour after deindustrialization and growth of tertiary industries. Finance, banking, welfare, education and health sector grew and jobs of women increased in these sectors. 2. Recruitment companies, job advertisements in newspapers and other support system helped female return to work. High rates of job change are different from life long employment system in Japan. 3. Mothers with small children can work using many ways of child care, child-minders, nannies, nurseries. Many fathers take care of children while mothers go to work. 4. Equity Act and comparable worth principle. 5. Work life balance policy. 6. Decent work environment for work and family balance. 7. Welfare system as safety nets. 8. Different view on motherhood.
Backgrounds of gender gap in Japan are following. 1. Delay of realization of equal treatment of gender. 2. Difficulties in coexisting of work and life because of hard work environment and biased view of family roll divisions. 3. Limited and short supply of child care services and motherhood myth. 4. Limited chances to return to work for a mother as a normal employee. 5. Inequality of treatment for part-time and dispatched workers. 6. Gender biased allowances and tax exemptions. 7. Shortage of safety nets. 8. Male dominated corporation culture. 9. Confucian treatment of women as inferior to men culture. We have to tackle these problems.
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Research Products
(14 results)
