{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1870592,
        "msgid": "japans-first-mayor-to-take-maternity-leave-sparks-debate-on-gender-and-pay-1784559219",
        "date": "2026-07-20 21:20:00",
        "title": "Japan's First Mayor to Take Maternity Leave Sparks Debate on Gender and Pay",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "Yawata Mayor Shoko Kawata has become the first sitting mayor in Japanese history to take maternity leave, a decision that has ignited a national debate over women's rights and the propriety of her receiving full pay during her absence. While many citizens support her right to have a child, critics have questioned the compensation arrangement, highlighting Japan's deep-seated gender gap in leadership. Kawata argues that such steps are essential to combat the country's declining birthrate and its economic consequences.",
        "content": "<p>Yawata Mayor Shoko Kawata has officially made history as the first\nsitting mayor in Japan to take maternity leave. The decision, which took\neffect on Monday, has sparked a national debate ranging from support for\nwomen\u2019s rights to criticism regarding the status and salary of a\nregional leader while on leave. \u201cI myself was very surprised to learn\nthat I was the first mayor to take maternity leave. It made me realise\nthat until now, not many young women, or women in general, have become\nmayors,\u201d Kawata said. Kawata, who leads the western Japanese city of\nYawata with a population of approximately 69,000, had planned to start a\nfamily since being elected in 2023 as Japan\u2019s youngest female mayor at\nage 33. However, unlike city government employees who are entitled to 16\nweeks of maternity leave, there were no specific rules governing leave\nfor a mayor, forcing her to devise her own leave mechanism. Ahead of her\nleave, Kawata continued to fulfil public engagements, with one of her\nfinal activities being participation in the Yawata Taiko Festival\nprocession on Friday. Breaking from the tradition that requires the\nmayor to carry a mikoshi, or portable Shinto shrine, a heavily pregnant\nKawata simply walked behind the procession. Kawata stated that Japan\nstill requires major reforms to create a more female-friendly work\nenvironment, especially for those in leadership positions, to address\nthe demographic crisis caused by the low birthrate. \u201cPeople talk about\ngender equality and work-style reform, but we need to build a society\nwhere people in all professions, including those in leadership roles, do\nnot hesitate to have children. If not, I believe the continued\npopulation decline due to the falling birthrate, and its impact on the\neconomy, is unavoidable,\u201d Kawata said. Despite receiving broad support\nfrom residents and her colleagues in government, Kawata admitted she was\ndisappointed by the wave of criticism on social media that emerged after\nnews of her leave became an international spotlight. Her baby is\nexpected to be born this September. \u201cPeople who didn\u2019t know me before\nonly know me from the news about my maternity leave. Some criticised me\nonline, saying I\u2019m not working and only took office to go on leave. That\nwas very disappointing,\u201d she said. The majority of Yawata residents\ninterviewed supported the decision. However, others questioned the\npolicy that allows Kawata to receive her full salary while on maternity\nleave. \u201cI am a woman and have also given birth. I think, as a woman\u2019s\nright, she should indeed be able to take maternity leave. However,\nregarding the salary, I do not agree if she continues to receive 100% of\nher pay during leave,\u201d said Yawata resident Chie Fujita. The debate has\nonce again highlighted the issue of the gender gap in Japan. Although\nthe country got its first female prime minister just last year, female\nrepresentation in politics remains relatively low. In the latest World\nEconomic Forum report, Japan ranks 118th out of 148 countries in the\nGender Gap Index, while for the political empowerment indicator, it sits\nat 125th.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/japans-first-mayor-to-take-maternity-leave-sparks-debate-on-gender-and-pay-1784559219",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}