Women’s right in Japan

Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, Asuka Cambridge, Naomi Osaka, Mathew Baker, Genki Dean... They have something in common. They are famous athletes at their peak. They are expected to win as Japanese representatives in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They are also half born from Japanese mothers and foreign fathers.

If they had been born before 1984, they could not have Japanese citizenship, and they could not have been Japanese representatives. Until 1985 children born in Japan from Japanese mothers and foreign fathers were not guaranteed Japanese citizenship while those born from foreign mothers and Japanese fathers were guaranteed Japanese citizenship. The Japanese government decided to give Japanese citizenship to such children in 1984 because otherwise the Japanese government could not have ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.

These sport players are results of Japanese decision of 23 years ago.

Still discrimination against women is strong in Japan. Another example of this is prohibition of retaining separate family names between husband and wife. 96% of married couples choose to have husband’s family names. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women repeatedly requested the Japanese government to make a law of separate family names, but the Japanese government continuously ignore the request.

Not only Japanese government but also Japanese people are not quite aware of various forms of discrimination---against women, physically challenged people, LGBT, and foreigners. The Japanese government should make more efforts to eliminate discrimination against women. It will lead to allow people to have differences and accept such differences. This will lead to happy and comfortable life for everyone.