Year-end review 2014: Women's issues

2014-12-30 08:47

By (Agencies)

Tokyo city assembly lawmaker Akihiro Suzuki (R) bows to apologise to female lawmaker Ayaka Shiomura at Tokyo Metropolitan City Hall in Tokyo, in this June 23, 2014 file photo taken by Kyodo. A lawmaker from Japan's ruling party apologised for telling a female member of the Tokyo city assembly to "hurry up and get married", an incident that embarrassed the government as it makes a major push to increase women in the workforce. City assembly member Shiomura, 35, was talking about measures to support child raising and boost fertility during a session last week when male lawmakers interrupted her with cries of "Hurry up and get married" and "Can't you give birth?". [Photo/Agencies]