Reported 11 months ago
During the morning rush hour in Tokyo on June 10, 2024, the Japan Business Federation, representing Japan's business sector, made a rare proposition to the government regarding gender equality, urging for the speedy legislation amendment to abolish the current law in Japan that requires women to change their surnames to their husbands' after marriage. The federation proposed introducing a 'spousal different surname choice system' to allow married couples to choose to retain their own surnames. This move was prompted by the increasing presence of Japanese women in the international business arena and the unique marital name-changing law posing operational risks for companies. The federation urged the government to incorporate the option for spouses to retain their original surnames into the Civil Code amendment, submit it promptly for parliamentary review, and swiftly implement it. This marks the first formal strong and specific demand directed at the Japanese government by the federation, with most marriages in Japan currently mandating women to adopt their husbands' surnames. The proposal aims to address the increasing common practice of women in Japanese business circles using their maiden names post-marriage for professional interactions, a phenomenon that has become a notable business risk for Japanese enterprises as more women become active in the international business realm.
Source: YAHOO