FOCUS: Japan Joins 80-Plus Nations with Female Leaders since WWII

Tokyo, Oct. 22 (Jiji Press)–With the election of Sanae Takaichi as prime minister this week, Japan joined the ranks of countries that have had a woman serve as head of state or government since World War II. As of the end of July this year, the number stood at 82, or about 43 pct, of the United Nations’ 193 member states, according to the U.S. think tank Council on Foreign Relations. Female leadership is no longer confined to northern Europe, often viewed as a global front-runner on gender equality. For instance, in Mexico, where traditional, male-centered norms remain strong, Claudia Sheinbaum was inaugurated as president last year, underscoring how commonplace women’s leadership has become worldwide. The trail was blazed in 1960 by Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who became prime minister of the Dominion of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, and the first woman to head a modern government. Indira Gandhi followed as India’s prime minister in 1966, and Margaret Thatcher was elected Britain’s prime minister in 1979. Thatcher’s ascent, in particular, has inspired many contemporary politicians, including Takaichi, who has cited the “Iron Lady” as a model. In 1986, Corazon Aquino became the first woman to serve as president of the Philippines. Since the 1990s, more women have attained national leadership in Southeast Asia, as well as in Europe and South America. In Japan’s neighborhood, Park Geun-hye was elected president of South Korea in 2013. Now that Takaichi has shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and, by extension, to serve as Japan’s prime minister, every Group of Seven country except the United States has had a woman as either president or prime minister. Shin Ki-young, a professor at Ochanomizu University’s Institute for Gender Studies, said the increase in women holding national leadership posts reflects “a growing number of female politicians, spurred by shifts in social awareness, including women’s movements.” She added that “as seen in many countries, female leaders have also tended to emerge at moments when political parties are in crisis.” Shin said Takaichi’s rise to power does not necessarily signal a broader advance in women’s political standing in Japan. One reason, she noted, is that the ruling LDP, now heading a minority government, has sought to project a “sense of renewal.” That view is borne out by representation data. As of Oct. 20, women held 20.5 pct of the seats in Japan’s bicameral parliament. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, that figure was the lowest among G-7 countries and even trailed the global average of 27.1 pct as of Oct. 1. Known for her conservative views, Takaichi has taken a cautious stance on revising Japan’s requirement that married couples share a single surname to allow spouses to use separate family names. It remains unclear whether gender equality policies will advance under her administration. “Increasing the number of women with diverse views–from conservative to progressive–across various organizations will help cultivate the next generation of female leaders,” Shin emphasized. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]