Japan to Assist Women Led Businesses Nationwide to Fight Rural Depopulation

• Japan will support women-led businesses across the country
• A component of the government's plan to promote gender equality
• Intends to lessen the number of women leaving rural areas

As part of its efforts to stop women from leaving rural areas, the Japanese government intends to assist women-led businesses nationwide. A draft package of gender equality measures was unveiled on Monday, and this initiative is part of it. The government will host lectures and seminars at regional gender equality centers run by local governments in an effort to promote local entrepreneurship.

It is anticipated that the draft, which was presented at a meeting of the Council for Gender Equality, which was presided over by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, will be formally adopted by the end of June at a joint session with the government's Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality.

Given Tokyo's rapidly increasing population, the proposal emphasizes how urgent it is to make rural areas more attractive to women. One of its main concerns is the dearth of employment options for women in rural areas.

In response, the government intends to improve systems for assisting new businesses, link prospective business owners with regional financial institutions and economic associations, and implement policies to stop harassment of female founders. Additionally, efforts will be made to pair businesses with individuals who possess the necessary skills.

Japan plans to create a specific administrative agency for gender equality by fiscal 2026. This organization will be supported by state grants to local governments and will keep a database of subject matter experts for use in regional programs.

Regarding marital surnames, the draft reiterates the government's intention to encourage the use of maiden names and increase public knowledge of the selective dual surname system that is currently being discussed in parliament.

The government also released a preliminary plan to nurture female talent in technology. Targeted assistance measures will be implemented over the next three years, such as allowing artificial intelligence courses to receive tuition reimbursements via the employment insurance program.