Gender Politics in Widow/widower's Deduction in Japan

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  • 寡婦(寡夫)控除におけるジェンダー観
  • カフ カフ コウジョ ニ オケル ジェンダーカン

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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes in widow/widower's deduction in Japan, and to consider the gender politics, which can be seen in the conditional differences between widow's and widower's deductions and the discussion about the need for widower's deduction. The research is based on a comprehensive literature review: parliamentary documents, official publications, judgments, and magazine articles. Widow/widower's deduction was established in 1951 but had applied only to widows for 30 years until 1981. We can also see that the conditions for men are set more strictly than those for women. Thus, the social service of widow/widower's deduction differs according to the parents' genders. The conditional differences between widows and widowers reflect the gender stereotype that few widowers are financially embarrassed because they have more income than widows. In short, widow/widower's deduction shows the gender role that "Men should go to work and women should stay at home to care for their families". It can be assumed that this distinction will disappear by the abolition of widow/widower's deduction in the near future. Not only gender equality should be promoted but the income of one parent families should be secured.

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