Despite being a highly developed society, Japan has high levels of gender inequality. In 2015, the country had a per-ca pita income of US$38,883,[1] ranking 22nd of the 188 countries, and #17 in the Human Development Index.[2] Its Gender Inequality Index rank was 19th on the 2019 report, which is relatively low for developed nations.[3] The disparity between income and gender inequality is due to the persistence of gender norms in Japanese society. Gender-based inequality manifests in various aspects of social life in Japan, from the family to political representation, playing particular roles in employment opportunities and income, and occurs largely as a result of differing gender roles in traditional and modern Japanese society.
