Japan’s military is facing challenges in recruiting women despite pledges to increase their representation. Instances of sexual harassment have led to a decrease in female applicants for the Self-Defence Forces. Women only represent 9% of military personnel in Japan compared to 17% in the U.S. As Japan embarks on a major military build-up, it is struggling to fill its ranks with the women that its forces need, and its policymakers have pledged to recruit. Following a wave of sexual harassment cases, the number of women applying to join the Self-Defense Forces decreased by 12% in the year ending March 2023, after several years of steady growth. Some victims have said an entrenched culture of harassment could deter women from signing up.
Nine months after the defense ministry pledged to take drastic measures to address sexual harassment within the Self-Defense Forces, it has no plans to take action on a key recommendation issued by an independent panel of experts – implementing a national system for reviewing anti-harassment training standards. The panel had identified issues such as superficial harassment education and a lack of centralized oversight of training as contributing factors to cultural problems within the institution. The head of the panel noted discrepancies between the gravity of the situation and the content of some training sessions. A servicewoman who is suing the government over an alleged sexual harassment incident also mentioned that the education she received over the past 10 years was ineffective.
Calls to root out harassment and increase the number of servicewomen come as aging Japan faces rising threats from China, North Korea, and Russia and navigates the burdensome legacy of its wartime past. Women make up just 9% of military personnel in Japan, compared to 17% in the United States, its key security ally. The defense ministry has taken some steps to address harassment prevention, including hosting lectures by external experts and making training more discussion-based. However, it has not committed to centralizing oversight of training as recommended by the independent panel.
The defense ministry offers an annual online module on general harassment and provides training materials to officers for in-person sessions, but there is no training on delivering harassment education and no tracking of how or when the officers carry out harassment training. The existing training was criticized as being generic and superficial by a review conducted by six experts. Instructors have been presenting harassment as a communication issue and focusing on generational differences rather than directly addressing sexual harassment, which has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the training program. With more centralized oversight needed, it may take time to improve the quality of training sessions.
There have been cases of alleged sexual harassment within the Self-Defense Forces, with some victims facing inadequate training and ineffective responses to their complaints. Concerns have been raised about the lack of focus on sexual harassment during training sessions, as well as fears of unfair complaints and operational issues within the military. The defense ministry has stated that it does not tolerate abuse and aims to ensure that commanders do not hesitate to give necessary guidance on the job due to concerns about harassment. Professor Tadaki has suggested that Japan could learn from other militaries such as the U.S., U.K., and France, which have more structured prevention programs focused on improving the internal climate and culture of the organization.
