Commentary: Japanese flyer advising new mums to massage husbands sparks debate
It seems almost unbelievable that such outdated beliefs and misogynistic views still exist, says author and mother-of-two Vivian Teo.
File photo of a mother taking care of her sleepy and anxious baby son. (Photo: iStock/Dobrila Vignjevic)
SINGAPORE: A Japanese city recently caused a furore after unsolicited advice it gave to heavily pregnant mothers on how to keep their husbands happy made the rounds on social media.
Flyers created by Onomichi city in Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture suggested how the women should behave after giving birth, including give their husbands massages, prepare their lunch every day, handle childcare and housework, greet their husbands with a “welcome home,” and always “have a smile on her face”.
According to local media, women in their seventh month of pregnancy in Onomichi city have been receiving the flyers since 2018, but the matter sparked public anger after it was posted on the internet.
On Jul 25, the mayor of Onomichi city apologised, saying the content in the flyers was not in line with the sentiment of pregnant women and others involved in raising children.
UNBELIEVABLY MISOGYNISTIC
It seems almost unbelievable that in times when strides have been made toward gender equality, such outdated beliefs and misogynistic views still exist.
The content in the flyers was based on surveys with about 100 fathers, who were asked what they liked and disliked about the things their wives said and did.
Some of the most popular responses to a question on what the men disliked most were: "She was busy taking care of the baby and not doing chores" and "She didn't do anything for me".
Expectant women and new mothers already have it hard enough - from the extra weight they carry, hormonal changes, backaches, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding and lack of sleep, just to name a few - yet they are expected to cook, clean and serve their husbands like kings?
Some may say that this is because of Japan’s patriarchal and conservative society - the country fell to a record low 125th position out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Index.
Only 10 per cent of its parliamentary positions and 8.3 per cent of ministerial positions are held by women. And while 54.2 per cent of its women are in the labour force, a survey by the Cabinet Office in March showed that more than 80 per cent of Japanese people believe women are burdened by spending so much time on childcare and housework.
WOMEN’S WORKLOAD
But the reality is that outside of Japan, such gender stereotypes are pervasive in many societies, with women primarily responsible for household chores and childcare.
