Japanese governors wear 'pregnancy' vests to encourage men to do more housework

Lately, the Japanese government has been pushing out measures to eradicate gender inequality. Their latest campaign urges men to be more active in household chores.

In a video titled "The Governor is a Pregnant Woman", three governors from the Saga, Miyazaki and Yamaguchi Prefecture don 'pregnancy vests'.

These specially designed 7kg vests mimics the breasts and stomach of a woman who is seven months pregnant. 

In the three-minute video, the men try to do household chores like going to the supermarket and cleaning. They are shocked to find these simple tasks difficult.

One governor has to hold his "pregnant belly" as he bows to his colleagues while another fails to put on his socks.

The video is part of the Kyushu Yamaguchi Work-Life Promotion Campaign.

At the end of the video, the men share their thoughts and all of them express surprise at how challenging being pregnant was.

“I really didn’t understand,” said the governor of Yamaguchi and a father of three. “Now that I understand what my wife put up with for so many months, I’m full of gratitude.”