idk much about the data, but usually yeah that's how it works. women often become single moms in the first place bc they're uneducated (little access to comprehensive sex ed) and impoverished (little access to contraception), making them easily get stuck in cycles of abuse and abandonment. sexism is rampant in japan still, and in america alone, being uneducated and a mom (let alone a single mom) will deter a lot of places from hiring you. i imagine it might be worse in japan with its more rigid caste system of men/women, normal/undesirable. single moms often get no help from family and can't afford babysitters, so prostitution in the end becomes a "quick, easy" way to earn a good enough income to feed an adult and a growing child with many needs.
Many women in Japan suffer from inequalities due to the heavily gendered system they all live in, and a majority of single mothers live below the poverty line currently. This society only supports a nuclear family structure and offers little to no help when you fall out of it. Almost 80% of men that have left their families do not pay any child support as there is almost nothing forcing them to. Even if women are educated, they cannot get a well paying job after taking maternity leave. It’s a pretty cruel system overall, not just single mothers. As for prostitution, I’m not entirely sure how common it is, but when taking into account how close to legal escorting is there, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Hope this answered something!
I can’t tell you the stats, because I don’t know, but I have lived in Japan for a few years.
The Japanese society is heavily patriarchal, so women were raised to be home makers. There’s a word to call young women who joined the work force and do basic office jobs until they are married and quit to become SAHM - it’s OL or “office lady”. There are women’s colleges catering to them, teaching generic subjects including basic finance and home economy. They are expected to quit jobs to get married and raise kids. Once the kids have started school, they tend to work as part-timers at supermarket, shops, etc and earn minimal wage until their retirement years. Many continue working into their 70-80s.
I have seen changes in gen Z. Girls graduated from my university found good jobs and most people I know are still working. However, the new reality means no family can survive on single income anymore, so I can’t tell if it’s a choice for all of them.
Basically, they were not given an education that can help them find a good job, plus discrimination against single mother and lack of child support means they can never afford working 12 hours a day like how they do it there. Single mothers have to resort to other means to feed their children and many live in poverty. You will find documentaries about this topic widely available on YouTube if you are curious.
Oh, WOW.
Thanks so much! That’s very insightful. Glad you saw my comment :D
I’m loving this
but a question,
We read a lot (in manga) about a single mother becoming a prostitute to fend for her child and herself, after getting walked out on.
In the real Japan, I’m sure there are mothers who go down that destiny to becoming prostitutes, but how common is it? Are these mothers uneducated, or in another disadvantageous position? Can they not become skilled or unskilled labourers? Just asking about what the scenario is like in reality, got curious.