Japan’s Predominantly Male Cabinet Highlights Gender Gap Once More – By Reuters

By John Geddie and Sakura Murakami

TOKYO – Japan’s new prime minister has appointed only two women to his cabinet of 20 members, a significant reduction from five previously. This move has sparked criticism from human rights advocates, who describe it as a setback for the nation’s efforts to improve female representation in politics.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who recently emerged victorious in a leadership contest against a female challenger, has selected Junko Mihara to lead children’s policies and Toshiko Abe to oversee education.

Under the previous administration of Fumio Kishida, who resigned amid a series of party scandals, women made up a quarter of the cabinet, including the important position of foreign minister. This was a record that matched similar levels reached in 2001 and 2014.

However, Japan’s female representation in politics remains low compared to other advanced economies in the Group of Seven (G7). This raises concerns about the ruling party’s commitment to increasing the proportion of female lawmakers from around 10% to 30% over the next decade.

Human Rights Watch’s Asia programme officer, Teppei Kasai, remarked, "The drop from five female cabinet members to two highlights the significant work that remains for Japan in terms of empowering women and achieving equality." He emphasized that this shift indicates a clear regression in women’s political representation.

As the ruling party prepares for a snap election set for October 27, it remains uncertain how many female candidates will be endorsed.

In contrast, the main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, announced the inclusion of a record eight women in its 20-member shadow cabinet.

Despite the lack of women in Ishiba’s cabinet, Kasai expressed hope that the new prime minister would advance socially progressive reforms, such as a proposed law allowing married women to retain their maiden names.

Sanae Takaichi, who was the first woman to reach the final round in the recent leadership election, is known for her conservative stance and opposition to changing surname regulations. Polls indicated she was not very popular with female voters. Nevertheless, her near ascension in Japan’s traditionally male-dominated society is noteworthy.

In terms of gender equality, Japan ranks 118th out of 146 countries in the latest gender gap report, climbing seven spots from the previous year but still trailing behind its G7 counterparts. This disparity was highlighted in 2023, when Japan sent a male representative to an all-female meeting focused on women’s empowerment in Nikko.

Throughout its history, Japan has had three female foreign ministers but has yet to appoint a female finance minister or prime minister. In 2016, the country elected its first female governor.

Currently, women represent about 10% of lawmakers in Japan’s lower house, significantly below the average of 30% seen across G7 nations.

The ruling party aims to nearly triple the number of female lawmakers to 30% over the next ten years through initiatives like childcare support and funding for female candidates.

When questioned about implementation strategies for the upcoming election, the party’s newly-appointed election chief, Shinjiro Koizumi, affirmed a commitment to "resolutely push on," though specifics were not provided.