1. Japan News February 15, 2002
Japan’s
Social Japan’s Single Mothers Fight
History
Back
Written by: Bridget John
percent
earn
even
less,
or
below
2
million
yen,
a
figure
well
below
the
average
income
of
male
salaried
workers.
Most
single
mothers
are
forced
to
take
on
part-­‐
time
work
to
be
able
to
juggle
child-­‐rearing
with
work,
and
are
dependent
on
state
allowances.
To
increase
the
stress
on
single
women
an
upcoming
law
that
would
reduce
public
welfare
“Life’s
tough
being
a
single
mother,”
Agrees
Avaron,
a
poor
mother
of
4-­‐month-­‐old
assistance
for
single-­‐
baby
and
a
three-­‐year-­‐old
son.
parent
households
and
would
stop
providing
Being
a
single
mother
in
Japan
is
being
to
be
a
growing
factor
of
poverty.
full,
child-­‐rearing
Without
husbands
to
help
earn
the
rent,
keep
healthy
and
have
meals
on
allowances
after
the
your
table
three
times
a
day
being
a
single
mother
is
a
difficult
requirement
child
turns
five
is
being
in
Japan,
especially
if
your
in
poverty.
Despite
the
uphill
struggle
faced
by
debated.
The
present
single
mothers,
statistics
released
by
the
government
last
year
indicate
that
law
gives
financial
help
the
number
of
households
headed
by
single
mothers
grew
to
954,000
in
to
single
mothers
until
1998
-­‐
or
85
percent
more
compared
with
1993.
According
to
the
OECD
the
child
is
18,
just
like
survey,
some
59
percent
of
those
below
the
poverty
line
are
single
parents.
the
U.S
and
Canada.
"There
are
more
women
out
there
who
want
to
be
able
to
lead
their
own
“I
depend
on
that
lives
without
depending
on
husbands
or
lovers,"
says
Mizuho
Fukushima,
a
money
from
the
lawyer
and
lawmaker.
government
to
raise
my
two
deserving,
hungry
"I
do
not
want
to
beg
and
plead
with
him,"
writes
another,
referring
to
her
kids,”
says
Mizuho,
a
ex-­‐husband's
reluctance
to
pay
her
child
support.
"I
would
rather
work
single
mother
of
18-­‐
myself
to
death
to
support
my
children.
I
have
my
pride.”
month
baby
and
a
two-­‐
(Aika
About
60
percent
of
single
mothers,
according
to
the
Single
Mothers
Forum,
year-­‐old
daughter.
earn
less
than
3
million
yen
(US$25,000)
annually.
Forty-­‐one