Over 30% of Japanese women cite workplace harassment as cause of mental illness
A government survey revealed that more than a third of Japanese female workers suffering with mental health issue cited work harassment as the cause.
According to a survey carried out by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, some 36.3 percent of women with mental illness faced sexual harassment, assault, bullying, and abuse of power at work by superiors.
Another 21.9 percent said their mental health issues were caused by traumatic events.
According to a report by CNN, Japan remains a male-dominated society and discrimination against women in the workplace is prevalent.
Protesters hold placards during a rally against harassment at Shinjuku shopping and amusement district in Tokyo. (REUTERS file photo/Issei Kato/MANILA BULLETIN)
The country ranks 110th out of 149 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) latest global gender gap index.
Japan also places bottom among 67 countries for gender equality.
The survey was carried out as a part of the government’s prevention of “death by overwork.”
It also found about 23.1 percent of male workers with mental illness blamed “a change in their job role or workload” as the main cause, while 15.9 percent attributed the problem to assault, bullying, and abuse of power.
