Drastic efforts needed to open door for Japan's 1st female PM

The election in the United States in which Kamala Harris sought to become the country's first female president highlights a stubborn gender inequality in Japan's national politics.

Harris ran through $1 bil in her failed campaign and lost to a convicted felon.

An LDP insider like Takaichi could have a chance.

A little before my time but I think the Japan Socialist head Takako Doi would have been an excellent PM for Japan.

That photo says all you need to know about women's position in Japan's leadership - they don't have one.

In the Oct 27 election, 73 female candidates won seats, up from 28 in the previous lower house election in 2021.

Seems like significant progress is already being made without drastic efforts like an electoral gender quota.

because citizens are diverse," she said.

'Diversity' is a negative word to many males in the extremist groups pushing for male led authoritarianism, see China, the Russian Federation, North Korea, India, and now the USA, many extremist males in the USA see 'diversity' 'equality' and' inclusion' as words that somehow threaten their ability to maintain the control they've had for generations. Similar to how some French men seem to see "fraternity, equality and liberty' as negatives, they seem to think that 'liberty only applies to males, and want the 'liberty' to be able to restrict those they deem 'others'.

That photo says all you need to know about women's position in Japan's leadership - they don't have one.

A picture is worth a thousand, words!

Diversity is so toxic if forced. i.e. Quotas….Most people aren’t against diversity and are for it, however most people don’t want quotas as it means more often than not that people who are the most qualified aren’t always selected.

Kudos to Japan for going against international norms and doing what they think is best for them.

There is nothing wrong with Japan having a male in this position if he is the most qualified of the candidates. You can see since most of the people in this position is female, there is a good chance they were selected based on their gender. Isn’t diversity is what we want?

Worthless article. If the USA can’t elect a women then how can anyone say anything about Japan. Japan everyone has a place. Men women children adults senpai kohai it’s ok just about where you are in life. Look at most of the politicians here. Ancient artifacts that are ready for the grave. They are there because they brown nosed their way there within the government. How can women expect to be PM when they are expected to raise a child for 15 years and rarely go into the work force. I for 1 like how st least Japan very few latch key children.

They could open the door to an empress, that would set a nice example. But the LPD and the religious forces won't allow that to happen. They choose to expel female royals from the family when they marry instead.

Harris ran through $1 bil in her failed campaign and lost to a convicted felon. 

Exactly

That photo says all you need to know about women's position in Japan's leadership - they don't have one.

Exactly

@リッチ

Worthless article. If the USA can’t elect a women then how can anyone say anything about Japan.

The issue it's not because US can't elect woman, is more than that. What's her track record, what her party affiliation, what's her view, what's her promise. It's more than man vs woman

Japan everyone has a place. 

By the time that most of male workers are gone because they retire and becoming ojiisan, finally Japan need female worker. So female "place" just being changed, so @リッチ is it cultural or just economics?

https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/d00653/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/world/asia/japan-women-abe.html

You get a position of power because you can do the job and do the job well. Not because you wear a skirt or for that matter a pair of trousers.

"A quota system with sanctions for noncompliance has been shown to be effective in many countries in raising the ratio of women in parliament"

We've heard that before, see what happened to DEI quota. When competency not being considered, you'll have quality decline, all over the place.

https://www.palladiummag.com/2023/06/01/complex-systems-wont-survive-the-competence-crisis/

Drastic efforts needed to open door for Japan's 1st female PM

Drastic effort needed to change many things in Japan but it's still remain unchanged.

May the best man . . . or may the best person win!

That photo says all you need to know about women's position in Japan's leadership

The country definitely has an issue when its minister in charge of women's empowerment is male.

Funny how it now seems harder to call whether "land of opportunity (for rich white men) USA" or "land where women are still supposed to serve the tea" Japan will be the first to elect a female leader.

I would rather a male leader than a fascist female prime minister like Takaichi.

If the people can choose, Takaichi would've become prime minster.

asdf:

Diversity is so toxic if forced. i.e. Quotas….Most people aren’t against diversity and are for it,

Exactly. This diversity, wokism is really throwing off many people who would actually support it subconciously if it wasn't all shoved down their throats.

Yes, it would be great to see a woman potus, but that person would have to be the best candidate suited for the job and with the qualifications, leadership, experience and morals. Being a woman only is not enough. The Democrats need to realize that. However, they're just going to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

"" mandatory electoral quota. ""

It is the only path forward simply because men are dominant and controlling. Women must demand a 50% representation or boycott the entire system.

Many of what some of us call NON DEMOCRATIC nations have more women representation than the so called Democracies without mentioning names, LOL

What drastic efforts? It is the easiest thing of the world to write Ms Takaichi Sanae on the small voting ballot during the extraordinary parliamentary session for electing next Prime minister, which very soon takes place.

I'd vote for Koike. So have the majority of voters in Tokyo

Sven AsaiToday  09:57 am JST

What drastic efforts? It is the easiest thing of the world to write Ms Takaichi Sanae on the small voting ballot during the extraordinary parliamentary session for electing next Prime minister, which very soon takes place.

Are you going on about Takaichi again? I honestly have no idea what anyone sees in her.

The election in the United States in which Kamala Harris sought to become the country's first female president highlights a stubborn gender inequality in Japan's national politics.

There are more than two countries in the world. If you want to a contrast to "highlight" a lack of female advancement in Japan, I'd recommend choosing a country where a woman has won, such as India or the Philippines, both conservative Asian countries like Japan, not a country where a woman has lost twice, like the US.

In Harris' particular case, she was parachuted into the job at the last minute due to Democratic donors saying they wouldn't fund the old guy going senile. With incumbents losing votes in every country in the world in 2024, likely due to inflation and including Japan's LDP with Ishiba, what Harris was handed was probably a poisoned chalice anyway.

DEI is dead in the US. Please don't start that nonsense here. No one is stopping anyone from pursuing the work they chose.

I wonder if Masanobu Ogura felt awkward, the only bloke at a women's empowerment meeting. Not exactly reading the air, eh? Were the female 51.8% of the Japanese population all less suited to the task than him? He must be such an expert on women. Journalists should ask him a lot of questions about them, so he can display his understanding of his portfolio. That would be interesting.

Equality of opportunity is great. But don't expect miracles. A female LDP member (like Sanae) is still an LDP member.

Yes, Japan has terrible gender equality. But whenever someone suggests that somehow politics would be wonderful, fair, just, more peaceful and better if women were in charge, I just remind them of Liz Truss. Gender is just gender. In politics, ideology and competency count for more.

Japan needs a qualified PM. Not a woke figurehead, not a DEI figurehead, nor any other sort of placeholder.

Yes Japan you must follow the American example in every facet of life lol

I have a few woke Japanese students they are the most confused pieces of work you will run into anywhere led astray by trending gender ideology

Or, the voters may just look for the best candidate and vote what they want, not what other people tell them to want. You know, having personal agency. Funny how this is more a question of, "may I be allowed to make my own decision or should I be forced to accept yours based on the fact that you are saying it?" It feels like this had been the centerpiece of what is going on around the world. Stop pushing things. Make your case, face opposition or opinions and leave people to have their own agency.

I wonder if Masanobu Ogura felt awkward, the only bloke at a women's empowerment meeting. 

Yes, it's too bad that more men don't support women's empowerment, but he does seem happy to do his part...

I have never came across any gender discrimination in the heavy construction / Mining industries . If anything it the opposite. Mining Companies have for a long time prefer women drivers on their heavy machinary. It is proven that female drivers have less break downs. If a women is interested in driving these beast she is encouraged and the is male deterred. Like the women could have the same fault that the male but the male is told this is why you miss out better luck next time. So it the seem to be only one sector that females are deterred from improving themselves and that the white collar sector. Improve you game fellows.

But, It's never "welcome to any female".

Present day, Japanese female politician nearest to PM is warlike far-right.

Also, first Japanese female attorney general only repeats non-prosecution about illegal acts of ruling party politicians.

a Harris win would motivate more Japanese women to run for office.

Maybe in Japan that sort of thinking might prevail because the politics is so terrible here.

But Harris, we have to remember, was installed as candidate just 3 months prior to the election and didn’t really offer a compelling policy platform, therefore losing.

japanese politics is even worse. Just sounds good slogans etc at election time and nothing serious is proposed ever to address Japan’s big problems. No political party has offered a plan to start it deal with Japan’s chronic deficit spending, for example.

It doesn’t matter if it a male or a female, any politician in Japan who got serious and honest with the voters here would garner my support.

Experts say one way to boost female participation in politics is to introduce an electoral gender quota to see more women appearing on the ballot in the first place.

”experts”

If your goal is to boost female participants, sure!

if your goal is to promote candidates that the public want, such a quota would be a terrible idea.

Ir is cultural and women take time to make children hence the men more tham women as leaders.

If a woman is as able as a man, no issue but it takes physical efforts too to meet thousands of voters to win.

In France, because of quotas, we end up with worthless and totally unfit to the job women with no qulification. It has nothing to do with freedom or equality (born equal with equal rights does no mean equal roles at the end).

Fed up with quotas, especially in Japan where hardly no women wish to go to leadership, and still among the nicest country to live in the world.

A little before my time but I think the Japan Socialist head Takako Doi would have been an excellent PM for Japan.

Interesting that you mentioned her. I was wondering why she wasn't mentioned in the article. She held a fairly powerful position as opposition leader for a while.

If drastic efforts are needed by the Japanese government and its people in order to let in a woman, then a woman will never be let in. If wishful thinking and plans to talk about it will suffice, then maybe in a few decades.

That picture is just embarrassing. It also perfectly sums up gender equality in Japan...or lack thereof.

They are capable, qualified, and hungry to serve the last, the least, and the lost. Women are yet to do justice to their enormous potential in world building.

sanctions such as invalidating a party's list of candidates

This is undemocratic. Any party should be free to run with any list of candidates they wish.

Skills and experience first and foremost, only those that can face the challenges to seize power, the moment, leadership, rise above their weaknesses, to display proven strengths through adversity, deserve the claim to be able to guide, influence, lead an organization or nation.

"The only way out of such a situation is to make it compulsory by law to ensure a certain number of women stand for elections,".......

How condescending, how belittling, how patronizing, not the best person just fill a tick on a clip board.

Only a change of culture, education, decisiveness, provide the catalyst for change, whether mindsets or behaviors, politics or business  

No quotas, no easy riders, no women only short lists/short cuts.

In 1979, despised, or respected, Margaret Thatcher led the way, stated through gritted teeth, I am no fan.

It really doesn't matter whether the PM is male or female. As long as they represent the majority of the populace and ignore the bankers and the US "handlers" it really doesn't matter.

As long as they represent the majority of the populace and ignore the bankers and the US "handlers" it really doesn't matter.

Wishful thinking. More and more people in the west are realizing their governments are taking them for a ride.

Pukey2 -

Often times, failings come from an individual's own choices or lack of ability, not government policies. People expect too much from the government and believe everything wrong with their lives is the fault of politicians.

When Clinton and Obama told coal miners that their industry wasn't viable for much longer and that they should learn to code, they were met with ridicule and branded leftist elites when all they were offering those miners was the cold, hard truth.

SuccessfulMan: "Often times, failings come from an individual's own choices or lack of ability, not government policies. People expect too much from the government and believe everything wrong with their lives is the fault of politicians."

Yup, the whole 裏金 thing is our fault, certainly not corrupt politicians'! It was our choice, right?

smithinjapan -

I only read and write in English, so I don't know what those Chinese characters mean.

In most OECD countries, especially the US, political corruption is mostly limited to financial fraud, bribery and insider trading. What is the nexus here? What does some congressman profiting from insider trading have to do with some coal miner taking initiative and attending coding boot camp?

Sure, there's little social safety net in America and not a lot of hand-outs, but there is rarely any overt discrimination in America that stops you from advancing. In reality, people don't actually want a "fair shot". What people want is cradle-to-grave welfare financed by society.

Drastic efforts need to be made....by a woman who WANTS to be PM. No point trying to cajole women into doing things they don't want to do. Honestly, the men who want to lead countries tend to be slightly odd, and look at the toll it takes on them. Just compare photos of American presidents at the beginning and end of their terms (with the exception of Trump, who looks just the same - but he's indestructible).

How about choosing the most qualified president, Prime Minister, as opposed to just checking off a box?