japan's social history
TRANSCRIPT
Japan’s Social History
Japan’s Single Mothers Fight Back
February 15, 2002
percent earn even less, or below 2 million yen, a figure well below the average income of male salaried workers. Most single mothers are forced to take on part-‐time work to be able to juggle child-‐rearing with work, and are dependent on state allowances. To increase the stress on single women an upcoming law that would reduce public welfare assistance for single-‐parent households and would stop providing full, child-‐rearing allowances after the child turns five is being debated. The present law gives financial help to single mothers until the child is 18, just like the U.S and Canada.
“I depend on that money from the government to raise my two deserving, hungry kids,” says Mizuho, a single mother of 18-‐month baby and a two-‐year-‐old daughter.
“Life’s tough being a single mother,” Agrees Avaron, a poor mother of 4-‐month-‐old baby and a three-‐year-‐old son.
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Being a single mother in Japan is being to be a growing factor of poverty. Without husbands to help earn the rent, keep healthy and have meals on your table three times a day being a single mother is a difficult requirement in Japan, especially if your in poverty. Despite the uphill struggle faced by single mothers, statistics released by the government last year indicate that the number of households headed by single mothers grew to 954,000 in 1998 -‐ or 85 percent more compared with 1993. According to the OECD survey, some 59 percent of those below the poverty line are single parents.
"There are more women out there who want to be able to lead their own lives without depending on husbands or lovers," says Mizuho Fukushima, a lawyer and lawmaker.
"I do not want to beg and plead with him," writes another, referring to her ex-‐husband's reluctance to pay her child support. "I would rather work myself to death to support my children. I have my pride.”
About 60 percent of single mothers, according to the Single Mothers Forum, earn less than 3 million yen (US$25,000) annually. Forty-‐one
Japan News
Written by: Bridget John