Japan's 1st Sitting Mayor on Maternity Leave Makes "Time100 Next" List
New York, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)--U.S. magazine Time has selected Shoko Kawata, the 36-year-old mayor of the city of Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture, who is believed to be the first sitting female local government chief in Japan to take maternity leave, for its "Time100 Next 2026" list of rising global leaders. Regarding Kawata's decision to take maternity leave, the magazine said in an article on ...
New York, September 30 - Time magazine has included Shoko Kawata, Japan's 36-year-old mayor of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, on its 2026 Time100 Next list of emerging global leaders. The article highlights Kawata's groundbreaking decision to take maternity leave as a pioneering move with no precedent in Japanese local government. At 33, Kawata made history as Japan's youngest female mayor, only to resign to give birth to her first child in September this year.
Time magazine commends Kawata for illustrating how Japan can improve its livability for families through her policy choices, such as reducing school lunch prices and enhancing postpartum care services. However, the magazine also notes the backlash Kawata faced, as Japan's elected mayors are not covered by the country's labor protections, including maternity leave, underscoring the ongoing challenges working women in Japan still confront.
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