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Seminar on childcare support systems held

The Teikyo University Support Center for Women Physicians and Researchers and the Teikyo University Gender Equality Promotion Committee jointly held a seminar on childcare support systems from Tuesday, January 9th to Friday, February 9th, 2024. The seminar was streamed on demand and archived so that it could be viewed at any time after the seminar ended.
The day began with a lecture by Professor Aya Murakami Department of Law, Sophia Faculty of Law, entitled "The Current Situation Concerning Balancing Work and Childcare and the Revised Childcare and Family Care Leave Act," in which she explained the declining birthrate in Japan and the difficulties of balancing work and childcare, and reported that disparities can be seen in the involvement of men and women in childcare, with over 80% of women taking childcare leave compared to only 17% of men, and 95% of women taking it for six months or more while approximately 51% of men take it for less than two weeks. In response to this situation, she also explained that the country as a whole is currently promoting the taking of childcare leave by men.
Next, a member of the center reported on the current childcare situation of faculty and staff at the university based on the results of a needs survey, citing opinions from male faculty and staff who had not taken parental leave and the fact that the difficulty of balancing work and childcare is particularly evident among women. He also reported that many respondents cited "understanding from those around them," "flexible working arrangements," and "communication in the workplace" as necessary for both men and women to continue working for a long time. Afterwards, the Human Resources Division at headquarters explained the university's regulations regarding childbirth and childcare.
Finally, as a "Q&A based on case studies," we interviewed male faculty and staff who have taken childcare leave. They shared their reasons for taking childcare leave and gave specific advice, such as deciding in advance who should be in charge of what to do during the leave.
The Teikyo University Support Center for Women Physicians and Researchers will continue to work to create a comfortable working environment through various activities.

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