Japan's military needs more women, but it's still failing on harassment

As Japan embarks on a major military buildup, it's struggling to fill its ranks with the women that its forces need and its policy-makers have pledged to recruit. Following a wave of sexual harassment cases, the number of women applying to join the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) decreased by 12% in the year ending March 2023, after several years of steady growth. Some victims have said an entrenched culture of harassment could deter women from signing up. But nine months after the Defence Ministry pledged to take drastic measures, it has no plans to take action on a key recommendation issued…