June 11 (News about Japan) – The Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) has issued a proposal to change the current law requiring married couples to choose one surname upon marriage.
Masakazu Tokura, Chairman of Keidanren, said: “Given the social and global trends and the progress of women in Japan, we must make progress. We hope for quick discussions on this issue. This proposal reflects that wish.’
Under current law, couples are required to join their surnames upon marriage, with 95% of couples opting for the spouse’s surname.
This has led to criticism that the burden of inconvenience and disadvantage resulting from name changes falls disproportionately on women, prompting Keidanren to call for legal reform.
According to a survey by Keidanren, 91% of companies allow employees to use their maiden names informally. However, problems often arise, such as the inability to use informal names on contracts.
Other complications include the inability to use informal names for registrations or patents. Furthermore, companies face significant challenges from an operational perspective as they need to match employees’ legal names with their family registers for tax and social security procedures. Keidanren sees this as a critical issue that cannot be ignored.
Source: NEWS
