Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

In recent times, Japan has been grappling with a shockingly wide gender gap, as calculated by the Global Gender Gap Report. The contradiction of a prosperous country with disproportionate gender inequality points to underlying trends within Japanese society that continue to work towards undermining women’s opportunities and rights, especially those who do not fit into the ideal standards set for women, specifically single mothers. Studies have shown that multiple external societal factors work towards perpetuating the poverty of single mothers. This thesis analyzes primary and secondary research from government data, academic articles, books, news articles, and interviews of this population's hardships and lived experiences. The specific factors of focus are traditional family structures and culture, stigmatization and shame, income and labor participation, and government welfare policies. The factors in the marginalization of single mothers have details unique to this group, but, they are generally reflective of the hardships that all Japanese women have to face in light of a society deeply rooted in patriarchal values. This analysis’s approach uncovers the deep-rooted legacy of Japan’s patriarchal structures within its dominant systems of authority and how contemporary society’s attachment to these ideals works and exasperates the poverty of single mothers while undermining the status of all women. These findings bridge the gap between these factors to better understand the shortcomings of Japan in effectively empowering its women and how to formulate steps toward productive change.

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