Panelist 4 Ms. IkukoImoto from Japan

I have been working at a certain company where lots of workaholic-like workers at the working bay, then quitted the company and established my own company. This was my basic background to do Work-Life Balance.

Japanese men work too much, therefore women are compelled to quit the job for raising the child. Working conditions for women in Japan is not so good. In addition to this, there are not so many supporting facilities for raising children. Therefore women could not return to the job sight after they delivered babies. Furthermore conservative so-called rule of “Men work at outside to get income, and women keep house management and raising child”

Recently, there are many policies to increase the women leaders. I think that to raise children it should be kept by both mother and father equally. Social phenomenon   in recent Japan is a decreasing of birth rate and increasing of high advanced age persons, and labour market size is becoming small. Another problems for women is a pension system.

Then we have to change our social system, education and the working philosophy for supporting the raising children and for assisting the young can get jobs.