ABSTRACT
As of 2007, the United Nations Development Programme ranked Japan54th on the gender empowerment index out of 93 countries, downfrom 38th in 2003. Despite this and other assessments that paint a bleak picture of a society failing to tap the potential of its women, some Japanese counter that women enjoy high status and a privileged position in Japan. They reject criticism by Western feminists and other international observers, arguing that Japan’s social and cultural context is different. Proponents of this view focus on the powerful role of women in the family as proof that women are seeking and finding fulfilment within the context of traditional roles. Women often control family finances, while also having a central role in making educational decisions affecting their children (Iwai, 1993). While some women do find fulfilment within traditional roles, or find few options, it is evident that a growing number of women are choosing to break the mould and many are critical of patriarchal biases in society.
