🔗 Share this article

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

It means a patriarchal society and a government structure that has long been dominated by men is currently headed by a woman.

However, although the optics suggest a forward-thinking era, certain females don't see her as an advocate for change.

It was rather interesting to observe how individuals outside Japan have reacted to the announcement,” Ayda Ogura says.

“Everyone's like, ‘wow, she's the first female prime minister in the nation's past and that would be a great opportunity for women empowerment and equal rights in Japan’.

In my opinion that's a rather simplistic view.”

Instead, Ms Ogura points to her “ideological stance and what she stands for,” noting: “She reinforces the male-dominated structure.”

A strong admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has long aspired to be the “Steel Magnolia” of her nation.

Similar to Thatcher, Takaichi is a firm right-wing politician.

Observers say her leadership is a tactical move from the governing Liberal Democratic Party to attract the more conservative supporters which had lately shifted towards Japan's parties further to the right.

Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage and has consistently voted against legislation that would allow married couples to have different last names, preventing many women from retaining their birth surnames.

Additionally, she is opposed to females being in line for succession in the royal household.

Nonetheless, she did soften certain her statements during her campaign – stating she favours giving financial benefits to companies that offer childcare facilities to their staff and spoke of potential deductions for households investing in childcare.

Yet she has historically backed the notion of a conventional role for women in society and in the home.

Regarding women's issues, Takaichi is consistent with her country's less than impressive performance on equality concerns.

Japan's Inequality 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 conservative society that still pushes them into conventional positions.

According to the latest gender gap index by the global organization, Japan ranked 118th among nearly 150 nations, with female representation in the political arena notably low.

Top roles have historically been held by males and Japan has struggled to increase the number of women legislators and business leaders.

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

It is even slow when it comes to women's reproductive health: only this week was it announced that the “morning after” pill – a type of post-coital birth control sold over the counter in over ninety nations – had at last been authorized for over the counter use in Japan.

Differing Reactions to the Historic Leadership

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

“There is great significance in Ms Takaichi assuming the role of prime minister, with a wider influence on the public,” a former mayor – who was elected as the nation's youngest female city leader in 2012 – informed Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Koshi argued Japan having a woman prime minister will “reduce mental obstacles” 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.

However a 20-year-old points out that, while it is remarkable Japan has its first female leader, it is important to recall it required her over three decades to reach that position.

“Additionally, she is not truly going against the grain. She's saying the same thing as the male politicians.”

Ms Hill-Uekawa further states that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal simply because she is a woman.

“It is essential to ensure we're talking about her agenda. We need to be capable of evaluate her equally as everyone else.”

Political Context and Influences

It is not just what Takaichi has said which has led people to label her as a defender of the patriarchy.

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

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

His faction's support for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in uniting the party's right wing in her favor.

“I do feel that it is challenging for females to somewhat identify with her achievement because it furthers this idea that we must be obedient with the status quo,” 21-year-old Minori Konishi says.

Ms Ogura concurs, saying that with her as a symbol for women in politics, “the public are going to expect the identical from us as well”.

“They're going to expect women to be conforming, not oppose the beliefs that they have, and it could render our job harder.”

Future Challenges and Expectations

Achieving this milestone, however, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will encounter – including tackling a sluggish economy and inflation and winning back the trust of a frustrated and irate voting public, as well as hosting president Trump within days of assuming office.

One can reasonably assume that no-one expects women's rights matters to be a top priority on her priority list.