The joy of becoming a mother is special for every woman, but for a female mayor in Japan, this decision became the cause of big debate. Mayor of Yawata city Shoko Kawata announced to take maternity leave before and after the birth of the child, after which discussion for and against it started in the entire country.
Actually, in Japan there is a rule of maternity leave for common employees, but there is no such clear rule for elected public representatives like mayors. In such a situation, separate arrangements had to be made for them, on which some people expressed support and some raised questions. After all, what are the rules and why there was so much ruckus, let us know.
Who is Shoko Kawata?
Shoko Kawata is the mayor of Yawata city in western Japan. She was elected in 2023 at the age of just 33. She is the first woman mayor of this city and is also considered to be the youngest elected woman mayor of Japan.
Why did you decide to take maternity leave?
Shoko Kawata is going to give birth to her first child in September. She has decided that she will take leave for about two months before delivery and about two months after the birth of the child. During this time, the Deputy Mayor will handle the day-to-day work of the city, while Kawata will continue to have a role in major decisions.
Why was there an uproar?
Actually, in Japan, general employees get the right to maternity leave, but there is no such clear rule for elected public representatives like mayors. Therefore the Yawata administration had to make separate arrangements for them. For this reason this matter became a topic of discussion in the entire country. Some people say that the post of Mayor is very important and it is not right to take leave for such a long time. Some people raised the question whether such arrangements should be made with public tax money.
Women still face a big challenge
Even today, many working women in Japan face discrimination during pregnancy and motherhood. It is called ‘Matahara’ (maternity harassment) there. Many women fear that if they take maternity leave, their career may be affected.
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