"당당하게 쓰겠습니다"...해외 언론도 주목한 '출산휴가' 논쟁 [자막뉴스] / YTN

[Shoko Kawata / Mayor of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (Last May): As the head of the organization known as the Mayor of Yawata, I will proudly take maternity leave.] The catalyst was this press conference held last May. Shoko Kawata, Mayor of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Born in 1990, she is 35 years old this year. She became the youngest female mayor when she was elected in 2023 at the age of 33. She got married late last year, became pregnant, and is expecting her first child this coming September. Although her body is growing heavier, she is handling a tight schedule just as before. [Shoko Kawata / Mayor of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan: I will rest for a little while.] [Citizen: Please rest comfortably.] [Shoko Kawata / Mayor of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan: Thank you.] Japan's Labor Standards Act allows for 8 weeks of maternity leave before and after childbirth. However, the mayor, being an elected official, is considered a 'special position' and is therefore not subject to these regulations. There are no regulations regarding paternity leave for the mayor in the local ordinance either. [Shoko Kawata / Mayor of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan: Since having a child and childbirth are important events in life, I felt that no matter how much I thought about it, it had to be now.] Therefore, she declared that she would take four months of paternity leave, just like a regular civil servant. During the absence, she plans to have the deputy mayor take over her duties, and when there are important agenda items, she intends to handle them via phone calls and online meetings. [Shigeto Nose / Deputy Mayor of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan: We have the phone available in case of emergencies, and we will move forward with our work by having everyone support and complement each other.] This is the first time a sitting head of a local government has taken paternity leave! Due to this unprecedented event, heated debate is continuing across the Japanese archipelago. [Yawata City Resident: Whether it is City Hall or a private company, I think it is only natural and expected that others fill in for the person who is absent.] Conversely, there are also critical opinions such as, "The absence of public officials is a waste of taxpayer money," "It is irresponsible," and "If you want a long leave, you might as well just quit." [Shoko Kawata / Mayor of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan: If we simply criticize and dismiss the women responsible for childbirth just because they do not fit into the existing system, society cannot move forward even a single step.] Not only Japanese media but also international media outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, and CNN are showing great interest in the question raised by Mayor Kawata. There is also an opinion that the real issue is not simply a matter of賛成 or反対, but rather how work is handled during the leave period. This implies that constructive discussions are also needed to create a concrete system to fill the void left by the person in charge. This is Lee Seung-bae from YTN in Tokyo. Video Editing | Saito Design | Jung Min-jung Subtitle News | Ko Hyun-ju, Park Se-hee #YTNSubtitleNews ※ 'Your tip becomes news' [KakaoTalk] Search for YTN and add the channel [Phone] 02-398-8585 [Email] [email protected] ▶ Original Article : https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0134_202607... ▶ Send a Tip : https://mj.ytn.co.kr/mj/mj_write.php ▣ Subscribe to YTN YouTube Channel : http://goo.gl/Ytb5SZ ⓒ YTN Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use of AI data are prohibited