Unseen Japan by Saki T, September 12, 2025
The Emperor of Japan asked Iceland's president a very good question recently: Why is your gender gap so much smaller than ours?
Earlier this year, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito asked Iceland’s president why Iceland leads the world in gender equality. The question highlighted a striking contrast between the two nations. Iceland has held the top spot in the Global Gender Gap Report for years, while Japan ranks near the bottom.
Both countries saw strong women’s rights movements in the 1970s. Iceland’s nationwide strike pushed leaders to reform laws and expand opportunities for women. Japan also saw protests for liberation, reproductive rights, and workplace equality, but the pace of change was slower and less sweeping. This history helps explain today’s wide gap in gender equality.
Table of Contents
1. A good question
2. Women’s day off: women’s rights movement in Iceland in the 1970s
3. The impact of the strike
4. Three women’s rights movements in Japan in the 1970s
4.1 Women’s Lib in the early 1970s
4.2 The battle for reproductive rights
4.3 Workplace gender equality movement
5. Iceland moved forward, Japan met resistance
6. Sources
https://unseen-japan.com/iceland-japan-womens-rights-disparity/
