On Friday, Japanese cabinet ministers authorized the repeal of a law requiring women who are expecting at the time of their divorce to wait 100 days before getting remarried.
The 1896 law, which prohibited remarriage for six months before being updated in 2016, has drawn criticism for being outdated and discriminatory, leading some to urge for its repeal.
A provision that gives parents the freedom to punish their children to any required degree will also be removed due to the reform.
According to local media, the administration will present the updated civil code to the current legislative session, which ends on December 10. If approved, the amendment is anticipated to take effect in 2024.
The World Economic Forum’s annual Global Gender Gap study, which considers political empowerment, health, education, and economic engagement, routinely places Japan poorly. The nation was ranked 116th out of 146 countries in 2022.
An almost two-decade-old government goal for at least 30% of top roles in industry and politics to be held by women was postponed two years ago.
According to a new five-year strategy, efforts will be made to reach the goal by 2030 rather than the end of 2020.
