Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)–A suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers has drawn up the outline of a bill to strengthen support for women facing difficulties such as poverty and domestic violence.
   

The outline calls for the bill to clarify local governments’ responsibility to provide support to women, requiring prefectural governments to compile plans including various support measures.
   

The bill is expected to be submitted to the ongoing parliamentary session.
   

The move comes as problems for women are increasingly complicated, due partly to the coronavirus pandemic.
   

Currently, the legal basis to support women in need is the prostitution prevention law. This has made it difficult for the government to take measures for women from new perspectives such as loneliness and isolation.
   

The coming bill will spell out basic principles such as the advancement of women’s well-being and the realization of gender equality.
   

It will require prefectural governments to compile plans to strengthen support for women, based on a policy presented by the central government.
   

The bill will also request local governments to set up councils for related organizations from the public and private sectors to discuss what support should be given.
   

It will stipulate rules on financial support by the central and local governments to private-sector bodies to promote activities such as providing women with consultations and places to stay.