The Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) announced that it has prepared a document recommending legal reform to allow different surnames and will submit it to the government by the end of the year.
Mr. Tokura also said he was surprised at why the issue had been “neglected for so long,” even though the Ministry of Justice's study committee recommended amending the Civil Code to allow different surnames in 1996.
Japanese man takes wife's name to challenge country's gender discrimination
Japanese man takes wife's name to challenge country's gender discrimination
The commission's recommendations were not taken further because conservative members of Congress opposed the move, saying it would undermine family unity and undermine traditional values.
“They have always resisted efforts to change the law and recognize equality because they are traditionalists and believe that name uniformity is important to strengthen the idea of family,” Temple University, Tokyo says Hiromi Murakami, a political science professor on campus. University.
“They overlook how inconvenient this law is for so many women,” she said in Asia this week, noting that banks, passports and countless other documents would need to be transferred to new names. .
“However, if Keidanren supports this idea, I believe that ultimately the government and the majority of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will listen,” she said.
“I would call myself a skeptic and an optimist because there are still many conservatives in Congress and I expect there to be resistance to change.”
An editorial in the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper on February 12 points out that Keidanren claims that this problem is having a negative impact on the country's management, and calls on the government to “exercise political courage” to revise the law. Ta.
The organization argues that using a professional name that is different from the corporate name causes various problems, such as women being unable to enter public facilities overseas or being refused accommodation at hotels. Complaints have been received from foreign companies. Contracts have also been rejected because the signature is different from the name on the passport.
“But the problem extends beyond work and everyday life,” the newspaper said.
“A person's name is essential to his or her identity. Many people feel that by changing their last name, they have lost a part of themselves, as if a lifetime of accomplishments were denied or erased. ”
Japan Airlines' first female leader from flight attendant to president
Japan Airlines' first female leader from flight attendant to president
Research suggests that the public supports this change, with a 2022 survey by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research finding that 61% of the public supported allowing married couples to have separate surnames. It is shown. According to a survey by the Institute for Labor Administration, 84% of companies said people should be able to retain their birth names.
Sumie Kawakami, a lecturer at Yamanashi Gakuin University who focuses on women and gender issues, said more women are reverting to using their maiden names unofficially, “causing a lot of confusion in companies.”
“First, Japanese banks typically require women to change their names after marriage, so companies need to cater to women's needs to receive payments into accounts that are not in their registered names,” she said. .
“There have been many reports of women having their academic IDs taken away when they go on business trips overseas.
“When women change their names, it also becomes difficult to manage copyrights and patents. All of this makes it difficult for companies to understand their employees' work history,” she added.
“The problem is particularly complicated when women use their maiden names in business and hold important positions in companies.”
Even though sexual harassment cases surface in Japan, there is no “real change”
Even though sexual harassment cases surface in Japan, there is no “real change”
And Kawakami knows the potential problems from his own experience.
“I went through the humiliation of changing my name once when I got married, and the second time when I got divorced. I had to change it. Furoseki (family register),” she said.
Once, while traveling in the United States, an immigration officer demanded that he provide proof of his relationship with his daughter.
“The novels and articles I wrote under my ex-husband's surname are not credited as my work,” she added.
“If I hadn't changed my name, I wouldn't have had to go through this humiliation. Men don't need to be subjected to that kind of scrutiny.”
