🔗 Share this article

To numerous young girls in Japan currently, the image of Sanae Takaichi assuming leadership as the country's first ever woman prime minister is impactful and formative.

This signifies a patriarchal society and a government structure that has long been dominated by men is currently headed by a female.

But while the optics speak of a progressive moment, certain females do not view her as an champion of progress.

It was rather fascinating to observe how people beyond Japan's borders have reacted to the announcement,” a 21-year-old says.

People are saying, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in the nation's past and that would be a significant chance for women empowerment and gender equality in Japan’.

“I think that's a very naive view.”

Instead, the young woman points to her “ideological stance and what she stands for,” adding: “She perpetuates the patriarchal system.”

A strong admirer of Britain's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi has long aspired to be the “Iron Lady” of her country.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a staunch conservative.

Observers say her leadership is a strategic decision from the governing LDP to appeal to the more conservative supporters which had recently gravitated towards Japan's more extreme conservative groups.

Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage and has long stood against legislation that would allow married couples to have separate surnames, blocking many women from keeping their birth surnames.

Additionally, she is against women being in line for succession in the royal household.

Nonetheless, she did soften certain her messaging during her election bid – saying she favours giving financial benefits to companies that offer daycare services to their employees and spoke of possible tax breaks for households spending on childcare.

Yet she has over the years supported the notion of a conventional role for women in the community and in the home.

Regarding women's issues, Takaichi is consistent with her country's subpar record on equality concerns.

The Country's Gender Gap in Context

Women in Japan are some of the best educated and most skilled in the globe and yet they struggle with the demands of a traditional culture that still pushes them into conventional positions.

According to the latest equality ranking by the global organization, Japan placed 118th among nearly 150 countries, with women's presence in the field of politics particularly minimal.

Leadership positions have traditionally been dominated by males and Japan has faced difficulties to increase the number of female lawmakers and corporate executives.

The world's fourth largest economic power ranks at the bottom among the G7 countries when it comes to the percentage of females in its legislative body. Specifically, women make up about less than 16% of legislators in Japan, the smallest proportion among the G7.

Progress is also sluggish when it comes to women's reproductive health: only this week was it revealed that the “morning after” pill – a type of emergency contraception available without prescription in over ninety nations – had at last been authorized for non-prescription sales in Japan.

Differing Responses to the Historic Appointment

Nonetheless, certain individuals view Takaichi's rise to power as a critical juncture that could alter how females view their prospects.

“There is great significance in Ms Takaichi becoming prime minister, with a broader impact on the public,” Naomi Koshi – who was elected as the country's most youthful woman city leader in 2012 – told Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Koshi argued Japan electing a female prime minister will “reduce psychological barriers” for females of all ages, helping them feel it is acceptable to “excel” as authorities in companies and the community, despite gender-based stereotypes and norms still persist.

But Audrey Hill-Uekawa points out that, while it is remarkable Japan has its first female leader, one must remember it required her more than 30 years to reach that office.

“Additionally, she is not really challenging the grain. She expresses the same thing as the male politicians.”

The young woman adds that she shouldn't be put on a platform simply because she is a woman.

“We need to make sure we're discussing her agenda. We must be capable of evaluate her equally as everyone else.”

Ideological Context and Associations

It is not only what Takaichi has stated which has led people to label her as a defender of the male-dominated system.

It's also apparent by which individuals her champions inside the party have were.

She's the protégé of the deceased ex- hawkish prime minister Shinzo Abe, and was endorsed in the leadership election by a senior politician – a senior figure in the LDP at the head of one of the government's most powerful conservative blocs.

Their group's support for Sanae Takaichi was crucial in consolidating the party's right wing in her favor.

“I do feel that it is difficult for females to somewhat relate to her success because it furthers this notion that we have to be compliant with the status quo,” 21-year-old a citizen says.

The 21-year-old concurs, saying that with her as a symbol for females in politics, “people are likely to anticipate the identical from women as well”.

“They will demand women to be conforming, not go against the beliefs that they have, and it might make our role harder.”

Upcoming Obstacles and Expectations

Making history, however, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will face – including addressing a sluggish economy and inflation and winning back the confidence of a frustrated and irate voting public, as well as welcoming president Trump within a short time of taking power.

One can reasonably assume that few anticipate gender equality issues to be a top priority on her agenda.