Thesis for 3rd EAJs Conference ‘Boosting Economic Growth of Japan : What If Women Could?’

Decreasing economic growth of advanced economies concerns limited growth potential of labor productivity. Probably the time is ripe to explore other areas with a higher growth potential. In case of Japan, the saving grace is lurked amid the traditional frameworks and institutions underpinning them. It is called inclusion – the key characteristic for a long-term economic growth according to the institutional theory. Somehow Japan succeeds in combination of highly developed market economy, business sophistication, highly developed infrastructure and democratic institutions with relatively low inclusion of women in economy. Japan remains a patriarchal society, which implies women to be housewives and mothers, leaving them vastly underrepresented in economic and political dimensions. However, modern economic conditions create totally new environment. Most families of three or more can not be financially supported only by a husband, extorting women to seek for a job. Meanwhile, the economy provides no solid jobs for women, perceiving them only as a temporary uneducated cheap work force. The present research aims to estimate the scale of women potential contribution to economic growth by using ad hoc indexes developed by international economic organization.Further, the research seeks to evaluate the economic losses of Japan in the present state of affairs. Finally, the research aims to indicate factors that prevent women from successful careers. This section goes beyond economic analysis, taking into account socio, political and cultural dimensions. The economic methodology used includes comparative analysis with the advanced economies of the domestic region (South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore) and the US