Mayor Announces Maternity Leave, Sparking National Debate

Kyoto. The mayor of a small town in western Japan thought some people might find it strange that she announced she was taking maternity leave. But the reaction to this was much broader and more divided than Shoko Kawata had anticipated.

The 35-year-old mayor has been drawn into a national debate on whether an elected official can take leave to give birth in a country struggling to boost its birth rate. 'I was very surprised by such a big reaction,' Kawata told the BBC.