Japan's Pioneering Female Leader: A Historic Event with Caveats

To numerous young girls in Japan currently, the image of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm as the nation's first ever woman leader is impactful and influential.

It means a male-oriented culture and a government structure that has long been dominated by men is currently headed by a female.

But while the optics suggest a forward-thinking era, some women do not view her as an champion of progress.

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

“Everyone's like, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in the nation's past and that would be a great opportunity for female advancement and gender equality in Japan’.

“I think that's a very naive interpretation.”

Conversely, Ms Ogura highlights her “political beliefs and what she stands for,” adding: “She perpetuates the patriarchal system.”

A strong admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has always wanted to be the “Iron Lady” of her country.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a staunch right-wing politician.

Observers say her leadership is a strategic decision from the ruling LDP to appeal to the more conservative base which had lately shifted towards Japan's parties further to the right.

The leader is against same-sex marriage and has long stood against legislation that would permit married couples to have different last names, preventing many women from retaining their birth surnames.

She's also opposed to females being in eligible for the throne in the royal household.

However, she did soften some of her messaging during her campaign – saying she favours giving tax incentives to businesses that offer daycare services to their staff and mentioned possible deductions for families spending on child-rearing.

But she has historically supported the notion of a more traditional position for women in society and in the home.

When it comes to women's issues, Takaichi is consistent with her nation's less than impressive record on equality concerns.

Japan's Inequality in Context

Japanese women are some of the most highly educated and most skilled in the world and yet they struggle with the expectations of a conservative society that still pushes them into conventional positions.

According to the latest equality ranking by the World Economic Forum, Japan placed 118th among 148 countries, with female representation in the field of politics notably low.

Top roles have traditionally been dominated by males and Japan has struggled to increase the quantity of female lawmakers and corporate executives.

The world's fourth largest economy ranks at the bottom among the Group of Seven nations when it comes to the share of females in its legislative body. Specifically, women constitute about 15.7% of lawmakers in Japan, the lowest figure among the seven major economies.

Progress is also sluggish when it comes to female healthcare: only this week was it announced that the “morning after” pill – a form of post-coital birth control available without prescription in over ninety nations – had finally been approved for non-prescription sales in Japan.

Mixed Reactions to the Historic Leadership

Even so, certain individuals view Takaichi's ascent as a critical juncture that could alter how women perceive their opportunities.

“There is great significance in Ms Takaichi becoming prime minister, with a wider influence on society,” Naomi Koshi – who became the country's most youthful woman mayor in 2012 – informed local media.

Koshi argued Japan having a woman prime minister will “lower psychological barriers” for women and girls, enabling them to believe it is acceptable to “stand out” as authorities in businesses and the community, despite biased expectations and norms still persist.

However a 20-year-old points out that, while it is remarkable Japan has its inaugural woman prime minister, one must remember it required her more than 30 years to reach that position.

“She's also not really going against the norm. She expresses the identical views as the male politicians.”

Ms Hill-Uekawa adds that she ought not be placed on a platform simply because she is a woman.

“We need to ensure we're talking about her agenda. We must be capable of evaluate her fairly as everyone else.”

Political Context and Associations

It is not only what Takaichi has stated which has led people to label her as a supporter of the patriarchy.

It's also evident by who her supporters within the LDP have were.

She's the protégé of the deceased former hawkish prime minister a previous leader, and was endorsed in the party vote by a senior politician – a prominent member in the ruling party at the leadership of one of the ruling party's most influential right-wing factions.

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

“I believe that it is challenging for women to sort of relate to her success because it furthers this notion that we must be compliant with the existing system,” young adult a citizen remarks.

The 21-year-old concurs, stating that with her as a symbol for females in government, “the public are going to expect the same from women as too”.

“They will demand us to be conforming, not go against the ideals that they hold, and it might make our job more difficult.”

Future Challenges and Anticipations

Making history, however, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will face – not least addressing a sluggish economy and rising prices and winning back the confidence of a discontented and angry voting public, as well as hosting president Trump within a short time of assuming office.

It's safe to say that no-one expects women's rights matters to be a top priority on her agenda.