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Role of Women
Until the 1980's women usually only held clerical positions. Then a labor shortage occured and an equal opportunity employment law strengthened women's position in the workplace. The law has no teeth; it does not carry penalties for companies who did not comply. Only 1.5% of senior manager and just 7% of lower managers are female.
Being a housewife and a mother still carry a lot of respect in Japan. Women often quit their jobs either when they marry of when they give birth to their first child. Because Japanese need to maintain a high standard of living, they work part time. Women run the household as well as the finances. Husbands are usually away until the late evenings. Families usually only have Sunday to spend with fathers who are office workers.
Because Japanese females social status is determined by whom they marry, they are quite picky about whom they marry. 14% of young women today remain unmarried. Before if a woman who did not marry by the age of 25 use to be branded "Christmas cakes," out of date after the 25th. Now on average people marry in their late 20's.
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