Most expecting and new mothers in poverty lack funds for basic necessities: survey

Japan Times

2 days ago

Around 80% of pregnant women and new mothers who applied to a nongovernmental organization for assistance with baby supplies say they don't have enough money to cover their basic living expenses, according to a recent survey by, according to a recent survey it conducted.
Save the Children Japan, a local unit of an international NGO, began its Hello! Baby Box initiative in May 2022 to provide essential items for newborns, with the aim of reducing the burden of child care costs for women facing economic or other difficulties.
The NGO conducted the survey between October and December last year among 254 women who had applied for support through the organization. All participants responded to the survey, the results of which were released last month.
When asked about their specific concerns, 82% cited the cost of raising children, followed by 78% who said they lacked money for basic living expenses. Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers.
Among those who had received government assistance payments, over 40% said the funds were used for daily necessities, including utilities, as well as baby products. The findings underscore how state support is often diverted to cover essential day-to-day costs and consumables needed for child-rearing.
A total of 49.2% of the respondents were unemployed. This trend has remained largely unchanged over the past three years, according to the NGO, with around 50% of applicants consistently declaring themselves as such.
'Part-time or temporary workers' accounted for 24.8% of respondents, and 'full-time employees,' 9.8%. Some 31.9% said they had never worked before while 25.6% revealed that pregnancy led them to quit their jobs.
The results also showed that 78% of respondents were either single or raising a child alone. When asked if there was someone aside from a spouse or partner whom they could rely on, such as family or friends, 64.2% of respondents said they had 'no one.'
Nearly half described their financial situation as 'barely getting by,' 30% said they were dipping into savings and 22% said they were incurring debt — meaning more than half were actively short on funds.
'Based on the results of this survey, we will continue to urge the Children and Families Agency, relevant ministries, and local governments to strengthen support measures — such as providing baby care items like diapers — for low-income households and especially vulnerable pregnant and postpartum women,' Save the Children Japan wrote in a statement.