TOKYO: In Japan, women are now seen as key economic drivers due to the fast aging and shrinking population. However, many women still leave the workforce after childbirth.
In 2011 the total number of women in Japan's labor force was 26 million. A drop of 0.4 per cent from the previous year. Some companies however, are managing to retain their female staff.
Yuko Hoshino, a beauty consultation planner with cosmetics firm Shiseido, is enjoying lunch with her children - not at home but at her office canteen.
It is 'Children's Invitation Day' at Japan's largest cosmetics firm Shiseido, and it is part of the company's program to encourage a good work-life balance by creating opportunities for families to spend time together.
In Japan, many women leave the workforce in their late 20s and only return in their late 30s. That is because many mothers cannot find nurseries for their children, mainly due to the long waiting list. As a result, these women concentrate on housekeeping and taking care of their children.
In Shiseido however, hardly any female staff members quit. Since 1990, it has allowed paternity and maternity leave of up to 5 years. Work hours can also be shortened for those with children younger than the 3rd grade of primary school.
Yuko has made full use of the benefits, and with two children, she usually goes home two hours earlier than her peers.
She said: "I wear an apron on top of this, prepare the meal, feed the children at seven in the morning, dine for about an hour. When bathing them I bathe together with them, to talk to them, to communicate with them, and I put them in bed by ten. It's like a battle every day."
In Japan, mothers normally do not hire domestic help as it is very expensive. Instead, they rely on their parents if they live nearby.
In Yuko's case, it is her husband.
She said: "My husband runs his own business. He's in the IT business so as long as he has his PC, he can work from anywhere. If I need him to stay home, he can work from home."
Yuko said her husband was spoiled as a boy, so it took a while to train him to learn to fold laundry, clean, and cook. Now, he is better than her in housekeeping .
Takayuki Mashimo, Deputy Manager of the Personnel Department at Shiseido, said: "Women form the pillar of our company, so we would like to enable more of them to step up their career to management level and eventually, at board level, as we have been able to keep them from leaving work after pregnancy and delivery, and to create that family-friendly environment."
According to the International Monetary Fund, with more women as part of the workforce, Japan's productivity can improve 25 per cent by 2030.
-CNA/ac
In 2011 the total number of women in Japan's labor force was 26 million. A drop of 0.4 per cent from the previous year. Some companies however, are managing to retain their female staff.
Yuko Hoshino, a beauty consultation planner with cosmetics firm Shiseido, is enjoying lunch with her children - not at home but at her office canteen.
It is 'Children's Invitation Day' at Japan's largest cosmetics firm Shiseido, and it is part of the company's program to encourage a good work-life balance by creating opportunities for families to spend time together.
In Japan, many women leave the workforce in their late 20s and only return in their late 30s. That is because many mothers cannot find nurseries for their children, mainly due to the long waiting list. As a result, these women concentrate on housekeeping and taking care of their children.
In Shiseido however, hardly any female staff members quit. Since 1990, it has allowed paternity and maternity leave of up to 5 years. Work hours can also be shortened for those with children younger than the 3rd grade of primary school.
Yuko has made full use of the benefits, and with two children, she usually goes home two hours earlier than her peers.
She said: "I wear an apron on top of this, prepare the meal, feed the children at seven in the morning, dine for about an hour. When bathing them I bathe together with them, to talk to them, to communicate with them, and I put them in bed by ten. It's like a battle every day."
In Japan, mothers normally do not hire domestic help as it is very expensive. Instead, they rely on their parents if they live nearby.
In Yuko's case, it is her husband.
She said: "My husband runs his own business. He's in the IT business so as long as he has his PC, he can work from anywhere. If I need him to stay home, he can work from home."
Yuko said her husband was spoiled as a boy, so it took a while to train him to learn to fold laundry, clean, and cook. Now, he is better than her in housekeeping .
Takayuki Mashimo, Deputy Manager of the Personnel Department at Shiseido, said: "Women form the pillar of our company, so we would like to enable more of them to step up their career to management level and eventually, at board level, as we have been able to keep them from leaving work after pregnancy and delivery, and to create that family-friendly environment."
According to the International Monetary Fund, with more women as part of the workforce, Japan's productivity can improve 25 per cent by 2030.
-CNA/ac
