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Keiko Higuchi, President,

Women’s Association for a Better Aging Society (WABAS

Presented ata UN Commission on the Status of Women Panel 2009

Gender Equality and Care in Japan and the International Community

Read by Fusako Ishibashi - f-ishiba@mri.biglobe.ne.jp

 

Elderly Care in Japan

 

1. General View

First, I would like to present a general view.  Japan today is a special country in the world from the perspective of population aging.  The population over age 65 occupied 21.5 percent of the total as of 2007.  This rate is the highest comparing with other developed countries which have shown stable rates at the latter 10 percent level.  If mortality and fertility rates continue as they are, the population of age 65 and over in Japan will occupy 39 percent in 2055.  It is a matter of pride to have the world’ longest average life expectancy.  However, as the nation’s fertility is among the lowest, competing with Korea, population aging will continue to progress in a way specific to Japan. 

 

Nonetheless, social security spending from the public and private funds stands at only 26 percent of GDP, much smaller amount than 31.5 percent of Britain, 37.9 percent of Germany, 38.3 percent of France, and 36.2 percent of Sweden.  To make an international comparison in social security budget, it is necessary to look at people’s burdens including a consumption tax and value added tax.  It is true that at 5 percent Japanese consumption tax is low.  On the other hand, it is also true that the ratio of social security in the total budget is high in countries where women’s participation rate in the workforce is high, and where the social system is established to provide people with welfare services from the public fund instead of family-centered care.  The small portion of social security spending of Japan reflects women’s lower social status and greater dependence on families for social welfare services.  It is natural that the larger the old age population, the greater the expenses for medical care and nursing care.  The small ratio of social security budget in Japan implies that care for elderly parents is largely borne by families.  We, women, should raise our voice demanding greater spending for elderly care, in order to show a model for other countries in East Asia whose populations will be aging soon.

 

The world’s highest ratio of elderly people in the population, in other words, the world’s lowest fertility, is a result of the traditional gender role division of Japan.  One of five men in their 30s work 60 hours a week, spending 33 minutes per day for childcare, which is the shortest in the world.  When working women become pregnant, as many as 70 percent of them leave their work before delivery.  When they seek re-employment after childcare, the jobs that are available are part time or temporary jobs under much worse working conditions in comparison to full-time workers, without prospects for old age pension and medical insurance benefits.  A majority, around 54 percent of working women in Japan is employed under such unfavorable status.  Such a condition has led young working women to prefer to continue working and stay single.  As a result, Japan has a large mass of single persons, resulting in low fertility.  It is easily predicted that Japanese society would be filled with elderly women in poverty in decades to come. We must stop this.

 

2. Women’s Association for a Better Aging Society (WABAS)

Since inception in 1983, we, at the Women’s Association for a Better Aging Society (WABAS), have been engaged in research studies, information and education, meetings and international activities in order to extend advocacy to make Japan a better aging society.  We have 1,200 individual members who are experts in various fields.  In addition, we have 100 group members across the country which are involved in activities to improve the life of the elderly.

 

Under the traditional family system in Japan, women, above all, sons’ wives had shouldered the responsibility to care for elderly parents.  We were the first to advocate “socialization of care-giving” and to forge public opinions for the need.  We are confident that we took a leading role in discussions to enact the Long Term Care Insurance Act in 1997 (to be enforced in 2000). 

 

In 2008, we played a great role as an initiator for the enactment of another law intended to improve working conditions for professional caregivers. 

Upon enforcement of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, townscapes in Japan changed with the emergence of Day Care Service Centers and Visiting Care Stations.  It created employment opportunities.  However, affected by long-established unpaid family care, the process of specializing care has been slow.  In addition, curtailment of the social welfare budget has continued for the past decade, and care-giving has become a typical low-paying job.  One out of four or five new recruits leaves one’s workplace within a year. 

 

Concerned about this fact, we launched a campaign to enact a law to improve the working conditions of professional caregivers.  We, WABAS, called it “30,000 yen Act” and demanded a pay increase, and the provision of social security insurances and training opportunities.   Many organizations of caregivers and many other related organizations and individuals responded to our call.  We collected millions of signatures in total.  I was invited to speak at a meeting of the Committee in the Parliament.  Finally in June 2008, a law to secure professional caregivers and to better their working conditions was passed.  Toward the end of the year, a 3-percent raise in care-giving agents was decided upon.

 

Although the ratio of elderly women is increasing in the world population, the voice of elderly women is rarely heard for two double-negative reasons, one because they are women, and, second, because they are old.   It is necessary for elderly women in the world to take action hand in hand at the United Nations so that we would not suffer from unjustified poverty and heavy burden as aftereffects of historical discrimination, as well as to prevent our becoming marginalized from welfare and medical services.  Last year, WABAS sponsored a workshop “Participation by Older Women will Change the World” at the 9th Biennial Global Conference of International Federation on Ageing, held in Montreal, Canada, and drew a great deal of attention  from participants.

 

3. Challenges in Care-giving in Japan

One task to improve the care-giving situation in Japan in a public aspect is to mobilize people’s voice to improve the administration of the Long-Term Care Insurance and to make it truly sustainable. Lessening the burden of paperwork and bureaucratic processing placed on caregivers and families is essential. The betterment of working conditions for professional caregivers will continue to be a high priority task.

 

Another aspect of care-giving in Japan is the diversification of family caregivers due to changes in family structure occurred in the past decade as a result of population aging and small numbers of children in a family.  One notable change is an increase in number of male caregivers.  Already, 27 percent of caregivers are men.  Another aspect is the change of the status of caregivers from daughters-in-law (sons’ wives) to real sons and daughters.  Third aspect is an increase in caregivers living separately or even far away from their parents in need of care.  Caregivers do not necessarily live with their parents.

 

It is quite natural that men should take part in care-giving.  However, many of them are puzzled with household work as a result of traditional gender-role division.  A survey on elderly abuse in 2006 revealed that the largest portion of victims are women in their 80s and that their sons occupied the largest ratio of abusers with 37 percent.  On March 8 this year, a national network of male caregivers will be established in Kyoto seeking outside support and solidarity.  We promised to interact with this network. 

 

Even with these changes, more than 70 percent of family caregivers are women, who tend to be alienated from employment opportunities and social activities.  Women occupy more than 80 percent of professional caregivers, and more than 60 percent of care receivers.  As men’s participation in care-giving will increase, they are expected to extend their cooperation from a new perspective.  For the time being, however, women as the majority of caregivers and care-receivers should work together to improve the current caregiving situation.  I thank you very much for the good opportunity to present our situation.

 





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