Gender equality in politics is still elusive in Japan, which marks the 80th anniversary of women's suffrage this year.
Female lawmakers hold only 15.7% of all seats in the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
Gender-related unconscious bias continues to hinder women's participation in politics, and Japan has a long way to go before fully achieving gender equality in the field.
Natsumi Sakai, a Lower House member of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in her second term, struggles to balance raising her 7-year-old daughter with her political activities.
"It was hard when stereotypes about elections were imposed on me," Sakai said.
She was first elected in a by-election in April 2024, which coincided with her daughter beginning elementary school.
Read here the full article published by The Japan Times on 4 March 2025.
Image by Japan Times
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