Women in Japan are more likely than men to view the disproportionately heavy burden of housework and childcare placed on them as a major factor behind the country＊s low birth rate,?a survey by a private-sector advisory panel has found.
The findings suggest that many women feel constrained by social norms, including unconscious gender bias, which remain deeply rooted, especially in rural areas, the panel said.
Panel members warned that unless such outdated attitudes are addressed, communities in the countryside could face a serious demographic crisis.
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