A U.N. rights watchdog will hold an in-person review of Japan's gender equality policy in October, the first since 2016, and may again urge it to reconsider the requirement for married couples to share a surname, a source close to the matter said Sunday.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has said the law forcing married Japanese couples to have the same surname is discriminatory against women, as the overwhelming majority of them traditionally adopt the husband's name.
Following the in-person review scheduled for Oct. 17 in Geneva, the committee is set to release its concluding observations on Japan.
While the obligation to share a surname is rare across the world, Japan mandates it under its 1896 Civil Code, according to the government.
The issue has recently stirred a fresh debate in the country, with the Japan Business Federation proposing in June that the government introduce a system of optional separate surnames for married couples, saying forcing women to use the same surname hinders their active participation in the workforce.
But some lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party oppose changing the system on the grounds that they cherish traditional family values, viewing the concept of marriage as an arrangement involving families rather than individuals.
The U.N. body has previously recommended that Japan amend the Civil Code over surname requirement in 2003, 2009 and 2016. While the recommendations are not legally binding, member states are expected to respect them.
Ahead of the review, the Japanese government has submitted a report to the body, saying it will conduct "further consideration" on the current system, "based on judicial ruling, while carefully observing public opinions and debates in the Diet."
The committee, a body of independent experts, periodically monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women by each signatory country, including Japan, which ratified it in 1985.
