J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 117(4): 344-348, 2016

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Special contribution

JAPAN’S SURNAME POLICY AFFECTING WOMEN SURGEONS’ CAREER PROSPECTS

On December 16, 2015, the Supreme Court of Japan ruled that Article 750 of the Civil Code enforcing married couples to use the same surname does not violate the Constitution of Japan. It stated, “A husband and wife shall adopt the surname of the husband or wife in accordance with that which is decided at the time of marriage.” While the law does not stipulate which name married couples should adopt, invariably, in fact in 96.3％ of the cases, women adopt their husband’s surname, a reflection of Japan’s male-dominated society and the discrimination against women. With an increasing number of women in the workforce in recent times, those who adopt their husband’s surname face professional inconveniences. Women surgeons, in particular, find that changing their surname after marriage interferes with their career growth; their professional reputation and identity would have to be rebuilt, for example, while making presentations at academic events or publishing papers.
In the modern era of individuality and diversity, men and women should have equal rights to pursue a career whether they are married or have children. Women surgeons, in particular, deserve the right to use their original surname to pursue their careers as surgeons and/or medical researchers.

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