Japan has undertaken a number of strategies to assist in the promotion of gender equality, such as the introduction of equal opportunity laws and improving child care and family care leave legislation.
Four main areas have be identified as needing to be addressed in relation to improving gender equality. These are, the education girls: meeting the needs of adolescent girls: fostering women's work: and increasing men's parental responsibilities.
I have heard young women in this Victoria say that they will only have children if they have a partner who is willing to take on a much significant parenting role. This needs to be supported by accessible quality child care and more flexible working arrangements. There are of course many men who would welcome the opportunity to have
a greater share of the child rearing responsibility, and support for them also needs to be addressed.
Advertisement
These are areas that all levels of Government and the private sector can consider in their future planning.
This is an edited version of a speech given in Victorian Parliament on 20 March 2002 following the recently held Population Summit.
Discuss in our Forums
See what other readers are saying about this article!
Click here to read & post comments.
reddit this
Del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
StumbleUpon
