NPR: 6 Years After Japan Launched Its 'Womenomics' Policy Is It Working?

Japan was once one of the world's fastest-growing economies. But today, the country's population is shrinking, and growth remains sluggish after a 'lost decade' of slump. As part of a plan to revive the economy, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a new idea in 2013, involving an underused resource: women.

Women have always been a large part of the labor force in Japan, but their presence and progress has always been limited and regulated by cultural pressures. Traditionally, a lot of Japanese women left their jobs when they had kids. Abe's initiative was aimed at encouraging women back into the workforce. Economists had predicted that closing the gender employment gap could grow Japan's economy by 13%. Six years later — is it working?