Japan: Mayor apologises for flyers advising pregnant woman to cook, clean & give massages to husbands

The mayor of a Japanese city was forced to apologise after the administration distributed flyers telling pregnant women how to please their husbands after becoming mothers.

According to CNN report, the pamphlets asked pregnant women to prepare lunch, give massages and have a smile on their face to keep their husbands happy.

These controversial flyers were distributed across Onomichi city in Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture. They were made after a public survey was conducted in 2017, the city government’s website stated.

600 pamphlets distributed

Around 600 such pamphlets titled, “From an experienced dad to you”, were sent to women who were in the seventh month of their pregnancy. The distribution started in 2018.

They included the top three responses given by experienced fathers in the 2017 survey. The questions ranged from “words my wife said that made me happy” to “things I wish my wife would do for me,” reported the Japanese newspaper The Mainichi.

The matter came to light after the local media reported earlier this week about the “misogynistic” fliers, following which netizens expressed outrage on social media. The local government started getting phone calls and email complaints about the material.

Japan records its steepest population decline

Mayor apologises

On July 25, Mayor Yukihiro Hiratani issued an apology saying that the pamphlets “do not match the sentiments of pregnant women, women in labour, and others involved in child-rearing. The content that made many people feel uncomfortable.”

He added that the local government had stopped the distribution because they “contain expressions that promote attitudes and practices that stereotype gender roles.”

These problematic flyers stated, “There are differences in the way men and women feel and think.”

“One of the reasons for this is the structural difference in the brains of men and women. It is known that men act based on theories, while women act based on emotions.”

“The important thing is to understand each others’ differences and divide roles well,” it added, before stating that husbands and new fathers like to be thanked for carrying out basic tasks such as washing the dishes, changing diapers, and holding their child.

Wives may irritate their husbands if they are “busy taking care of the baby and not doing chores” the flyer said, advising women not to “get frustrated for no reason.”

It concluded that there are many things new mothers can do to please their husbands, including giving them massages, preparing their lunch every day, handling the childcare and housework, greeting them with a “welcome home,” and always having “a smile on her face.”

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE