Japanese young women face worsening poverty during Coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted and worsened existing inequalities. People with lower incomes and in less stable jobs are especially vulnerable. In Japan, many of these kinds of jobs are taken up by women.

Japan’s emphasis on traditional gender roles means that women do not have quite the same opportunities for career and income growth as men do. While the overall employment rate for women has been high, women make up a large percentage of workers in part-time and unstable jobs such as in the service industry.

Various issues worsen financial situations for women as they get older. They have higher expectations for unpaid housework during marriage and most likely take custody of a child if divorced. Single parent households also face a much higher risk of falling into poverty, and age discrimination limits opportunities.

However, the fundamental problem of the income gap starts early on in women’s working lives. The average salary for women in their 20s ranges between 2.43 and 3.18 million yen, and for many, this range will not increase significantly, if at all, during their working life.

More young women suffering from COVID consequences

COVID-19 has impacted the economy in general, but women in these part-time and unstable positions have been particularly affected. MBS News recently conducted a survey of young women in the Minami area of Osaka. The respondents describe the hardships they have felt due to the pandemic and restrictions, which have been in large part aimed at the dining and service industries.

Even female permanent employees have been let go due to the pandemic. In one case, a female permanent employee talked about being fired from her job instead of her male colleague, despite having more work experience. Others mentioned salaries and hours being cut. Respondents wrote about the severe loneliness and sense of despair they felt, with even their families not wanting them to visit in some cases. Suicidal ideation was unfortunately not rare in their comments.

Single women living alone have been impacted, but those with families to rely on have had difficulties as well, with their husbands also affected by income and hour cuts. In one year, the non-profit organization Anata no Ibasho (Your place to belong) received around 38,000 consultation requests, and 70% of those were from women.

Support to stop young women’s poverty spiral

One tragic result is that some of these women go into sex work or compensated dating to make ends meet. One anonymous interviewee in the MBS feature described her experiences with the latter. As uncomfortable as it can be, the practice can earn women significantly more than what part-time jobs offer. Other women who responded wrote about how they use such jobs to fund their ambitions, such as nursing school.

For women who find themselves in these situations, reaching out for help can be difficult. However, there are services available. The aforementioned Anata no Ibasho offers anonymous consultations through online chat. While not exclusively for women, other non-profits such as NPO Posse offer consultations for those in need. Among other services, they offer help navigating public assistance programs. Local government offices often have their own women support centers. Here, women can go for assistance with a range of issues from general consultations to securing a safe place in times of danger and getting assistance to become financially independent.

 

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These services, of course, do not solve the underlying issue, but they can offer emotional and other forms of support during difficult times. COVID-19 has worsened existing societal problems. With the proper support and changes towards traditional attitudes about gender, more women can get out of these situations and build better lives for themselves.