Big news out of Tokyo, Japan: Starting next September, daycare will be free for all preschool children. Yes, all of them. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced this groundbreaking policy (as reported by AFP) in an effort to address Japan’s plummeting birth rate, a challenge called the demographic crisis.
The move extends existing free day care benefits, which currently apply to second and subsequent children, to include first-borns. It is an important step aimed at easing the financial burden on families. Governor Koike also hinted at other pro-family policies such as offering a four-day work week for government employees. These efforts are part of a broader push to create a society where starting—and expanding—a family feels more possible.
But here’s the real deal: While free daycare is a critical piece of the puzzle, the Data shows that free childcare services alone will not necessarily inspire more women to have childrenas recently reported by The Wall Street Journal. Here’s why.
It’s her choice
Women’s decisions about whether (or when) to have children are deeply personal—and complicated. From career aspirations to financial stability to personal fulfillment, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. And honestly, that’s the way it should be. Women deserve to make choices about their future without pressure or guilt.
But let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: for too long, women’s needs—especially caregiving—have been neglected by systems and institutions. It’s not just about free daycare. It’s about making motherhood (and life in general) manageable with social support that enables women to thrive.
Related: Childless by choice: This mom’s candid speech is going viral for all the right reasons
We need to build a global culture of support for women
The truth is that even important policies like free childcare won’t erase the biggest problems holding women back. What we really The need is a culture that centers and supports women at all stages of life: from navigating early career hurdles to well-being during motherhood, from conquering menopause to managing elder care. This means rethinking work structures, investing in gender equality and creating policies that value women as people, not just potential mothers.
In too many societies around the world, women are still seen as subordinate and subservient to men. To a new generation of Millennial women worldwide reaching unprecedented heights in their educationcareers and economic powerbeing told to fulfill every traditional societal expectation of motherhood is an insult. Until men step up, take the burden off women, and emerge as equal parents, women will use their growing power to make choices that align their personal aspirations with motherhood in new ways. In other words, for women today, professional and personal autonomy may be more important than having many children — or having children.
Until women feel like they’re entering a world where parenting is affordable, fair, and supported by a strong community, many will go on to pause or give up parenthood altogether. And can you blame them?
A holistic solution for women (and the world)
Tokyo is taking bold steps to address its population challenges and that deserves applause. Free daycare is no small feat, especially in a city of 37 million inhabitants. But to really move the needle, we need more: strong parental leave policies, workplace flexibility, affordable housing, health care, gender equality, and cultural changes that care value— for children and elderly parents.
The bottom line? We need to create systems that work with women, not against them. When women feel supported—not just in parenting, but in all aspects of life—maybe then the birth rate will increase. Until then, Tokyo’s new daycare policy is a step in the right direction, but the marathon for a fairer future has only just begun.
Let’s keep running.
Sources:
- Free daycare in Tokyo. The Japan Times. 2024. “Tokyo to make day care free to boost birth rate.”
- Reducing the working week to increase family time. CNN. 2024. “Tokyo government gives workers 4-day work week to boost fertility and family time.”
- Missing a baby. WSJ. 2024. “Global efforts to reverse the baby shortage are falling flat“
- Women are changing the economy. AOL. 2024.”Millennial women, congratulations — you are the economy’s new power players.”
- Women in Asia vs. USA Harvard Business Review. 2015. “Women in Asia are more economical than women in the US“
