Republished with full copyright permissions from The Washington Daily Chronicle.

For the past five years, expectant mothers in the city of Onomichi, Japan, have been reluctantly receiving unsolicited advice from local authorities via a colorful flyer. The intention behind this flyer was not to offer guidance for the wellbeing of new mothers and their babies, but rather to instruct them on how to avoid annoying their husbands.

The flyer highlighted behaviors that men supposedly disliked in their wives, such as neglecting chores in favor of taking care of the baby or showing frustration without reason. It also recommended that new mothers prepare their husbands’ daily lunches, express gratitude for any basic household chores done by men, and always wear a smile.

Although these flyers have been distributed in Onomichi for several years, it was only recently that they gained attention on social media, sparking a wave of public anger. The backlash grew so intense that local authorities issued an apology and immediately discontinued the distribution of these controversial flyers.

Onomichi Mayor Yukihiro Hiratani took to the city’s government website and Twitter to express that the content of the flyers did not align with the sentiments of pregnant women, childbearing mothers, and others involved in child-rearing. He acknowledged that the flyers contained expressions that promoted gender role stereotypes, leading to unpleasant feelings for many individuals.

However, despite the mayor’s announcement and apology, social media users continued to criticize the underlying misogyny reflected in the flyers. Some users went as far as calling for a deeper examination of the chauvinistic attitudes among the staff responsible for creating and distributing such materials.

It is worth noting that the controversial advice in the flyers was based on a survey of 100 fathers in Onomichi conducted in 2017. Local media reported that authorities have been mailing approximately 600 flyers every year since 2018 to female residents in their seventh month of pregnancy.

This incident highlights the urgent need to address gender issues in Japan, a country that ranks 125th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index. Gender inequality is particularly evident in women’s political and economic participation. Only around 13 percent of managerial positions in Japan are held by women, while women tend to dominate non-regular jobs, which often offer lower wages and less job security.

These inequalities result from deeply rooted traditional gender roles that emphasize women’s responsibilities as primary caregivers in the home. Additionally, pregnant women or new mothers often face discrimination, known as matahara or maternity harassment, in the workplace due to perceived unproductivity.

Fortunately, critical discussion surrounding gender issues in Japan has been gaining momentum. Recent incidents, such as the resignation of the head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee following a sexist comment and a medical school being ordered to compensate rejected female students, are clear indicators that society is becoming increasingly intolerant of harmful gender stereotypes.

The Onomichi flyers have reignited these conversations, shedding light on the harm caused by entrenched gender stereotypes in Japanese society. Within a short period of time, the flyer accumulated 156 complaint emails and 51 phone calls, indicating the wide-scale disapproval expressed by the public.

One comment on Twitter aptly summed up the sentiments of many, stating, “Women are working so hard that giving birth is already more than enough. The first step is to inform fathers about the roles they should play and what they should do after giving birth.”

Addressing the deeply ingrained gender biases is fundamental to achieving gender equality in Japan and beyond. It requires continuous efforts to challenge harmful stereotypes and promote a more inclusive society where individuals are valued for their abilities, rather than being defined by traditional gender roles. Only through collective action and fostering genuine understanding can meaningful progress be made in dismantling gender inequality.