Japan’s Failed Plan: Zero applicants for promoting women

TOKYO: Not one Japanese company applied for a subsidy programme aimed at promoting more women to senior jobs, an official said - an embarrassing blow for Tokyo’s ‘push to boost the economy with female workers’. Hundreds of firms had been expected to apply for cash rewards in exchange for reaching targets to place women in high-ranking jobs and train them for senior positions. Under the plan, successful firms would each receive up to 300,000 yen ($2,500) in compensation. But a 120-million yen budget earmarked for 500 expected applicants went unused, said a spokeswoman for ministry which administered the programme. Last month Japan enacted a law forcing larger firms to disclose their targets for hiring female employees and promoting them to senior positions.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2015.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.