Career Woman

A career woman (キャリアウーマン, kyariaūman?) sometimes career girl, is a Japanese term for a Japanese woman, married or not, who pursues a career to make a living and for personal advancement, rather than being a housewife without occupation outside the home. The term came into use when women were expected to marry and become housewives after a short period working as an "office lady".

"Career woman" is used in Japan to describe the counterpart to the Japanese salaryman (サラリーマン); i.e., a woman who works for a salaried living. These Japanese women seek to either supplement their family's income through work or to remain independent by seeking a career as a working woman. These women want to break out of the confines of being a homemaker in a Japanese home, determined to win independence by way of their own skills and strengths, believing personal economic stability as the best way to earn their freedom.