Japan minister says women 'underestimated'

Japan's minister for gender equality and children's issues called the country's record low birthrate and plunging population a national crisis and blamed "indifference and ignorance" in the male-dominated Japanese parliament for the neglect.

The gap between men and women in Japan is one of the world's worst. The minister said because of outdated social and legal systems surrounding family issues, younger generations are increasingly reluctant to get married and have children, contributing to the low birthrate and shrinking population. She has served in parliament since 1993 and expressed her ambition to be Japan's first female prime minister.