As Japan embarks on a major military buildup, it is struggling to fill its ranks with the women the armed forces need and that policymakers have pledged to recruit. Following a wave of sexual harassment cases, the number of women applying to join the Self-Defense Forces fell by 12% in the year ending March 2023, after several years of steady growth. Some victims have said an entrenched culture of harassment could deter women from signing up.
But nine months after the Defense Department vowed to take drastic action, it has no plans to take action on a key recommendation from an independent panel of experts — implementing a national system for reviewing anti-harassment training standards — according to two responsible ministry officials. for training.
The government-appointed panel had found in a report published in August that the military’s superficial harassment education – which included limited mention of sexual harassment – and a lack of centralized oversight of such training were contributing factors. cultural problems within the institution.
