“I work in hospitality and the fall has left me without a job. I have to stay at home and my source of income has decreased. I wanted to buy new school supplies for my two children. “
“My children can’t go to school, so all my expenses are increasing. Food, electricity. I’m afraid I may not be able to stay awake. “
These are some of the responses an organization of single mothers got as part of a survey in April. The Tokyo-based Single Mothers Forum sought to get a sense of the economic effects of the pandemic on single mothers. More than two hundred people responded.
While more than 90% of respondents said they still had a task, only about 70% said their task was unstable. Many paint only part-time or as transient painters.
54% say they expect their income to decline.
The Japanese government has asked municipalities across the country to close schools in March and April. Many are still closed.
About 85% of respondents said the coronavirus outbreak and school closures are forcing them to change their work habits. Some said they would leave home early, while others said they took days off entirely.
80% of respondents with children in elementary school say they are concerned about reducing the amount of time their children spend outdoors.
In 2019, Japan fell to 121st place globally in gender equality, the lowest score in the country’s history. This is shown through statistics of revenue sources.
Data from Japan’s Ministry of Social Affairs shows that in 2016, there were 1. 4 million single-parent families in the country. Nearly 90%, or 1. 2 million, were headed by mothers. His annual source of income was two million yen, or about $18,600. part of the figure obtained through single parents. And while single fathers earned 80% of the average income stream of a two-parent family, single mothers earned only 50%.
Some business leaders believe the coronavirus pandemic provides Japan with an opportunity to correct this imbalance.
An organization of CEOs, marketers and bloodhounds launched an online page on the efforts of organizations helping women and youth with disabilities in the country. The site lists around 20 such groups and provides information on how others can donate and offer their own support. .
“The coronavirus has put the most vulnerable members of our society in even more difficult situations,” says Miyagi Haruo, one of the business leaders involved in the project. “Ordinary people don’t see what’s going on, so we felt we had to let them know. Hopefully, this will generate benefits for society as a whole once the virus has subsided. “