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Japan's first lady says she has such a busy schedule that sometimes the prime minister must do the dishes or take out the rubbish. Akie Abe said this kind of flexibility was needed for the advancement of women in Japan.
Her husband, Shinzō Abe, is pushing for companies and the government to hire and promote more women. He appointed five women to his 18-member cabinet on Wednesday.
Akie Abe said on Thursday that her husband gave her time to undertake a range of activities, from raising organic rice to appearing in a gay pride parade.
Despite his conservative image, she says her husband does chores when he can. "Sometimes he tries to move things out of the way, but I end up scolding him for putting things in the wrong place. Poor thing," she said.
Akie Abe said she was often out all day, leaving her little time for cleaning. She sometimes hears her husband mumbling about the house, but says he is never bossy or demanding.
Though she openly refers to herself as a member of the "opposition in the household" on some issues her husband supports, such as nuclear energy, she is a big supporter of his policy of promoting women's advancement, which has been described as "womenomics".
Akie Abe says women tend to work harder than men in many parts of the world, but they are often not represented fairly. It is important that society allows women enough flexibility to return to work after child-rearing or other life events that often interrupt their professional careers, she said.
In Japan, women are underrepresented in senior-level positions. They have long been discriminated against in salary and promotion in corporate Japan, and often face obstacles to pursuing their career due to lack of childcare support and unhelpful spouses.
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