TOKYO - The Japanese government said Thursday that it will aim to double the proportion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields by 2040 and provide aid to universities actively working to improve gender parity.
The 2026 basic policies on gender equality highlighted labor shortages in science and engineering and the lack of female representation in 17 strategic fields the government has designated for investment, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
"We will work speedily to expand women's participation. We will raise the talent baseline," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said during a meeting.
The policy sets a goal of increasing the proportion of women in engineering-related university departments from 18 percent in 2025 to 36 percent by 2040 and calls for developing technical schools and university departments that will drive economic growth.
The government will seek to make workplaces in the shipbuilding and defense industries more accessible by promoting the development of robots and remote technologies to reduce the physical demands of the work.
It will also consider introducing support measures, including tax incentives, for housekeeping and babysitting services to help work-life balance, as well as improving the functions of so-called women's health clinics.
On the issue of using birth surnames in official documents after marriage, the government limited itself to saying it would consider the bill's basic framework.
Japan requires married couples to share a surname and has been considering allowing married people to use their birth surnames in official documents.
The issue is contentious in Japan, where women predominantly give up their surnames upon marriage and can face inconveniences such as being unable to open bank accounts under the maiden names they continue to use at work.
