A Woman Is Poised to Lead Japan. Will That Help Japanese Women?
Source: The New York Times
In Japan, women have long been severely underrepresented at the highest levels of business, government and society, the product of a culture that expects them to bear a disproportionate share of child care and housework.
But on Tuesday, the country is poised for a milestone: Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line conservative lawmaker who idolizes Margaret Thatcher, is expected to be named Japan’s next prime minister during an extraordinary session of Parliament. She would be the first woman to serve in that role and the first woman at the top of Japanese government in centuries.
Ms. Takaichi, 64, is a divisive figure in Japan, and her breaking of the glass ceiling has drawn a range of reactions. Her supporters have hailed her as a pioneer who knows firsthand the challenges of Japan’s male-dominated culture. Activists and scholars have expressed concern that she will continue to support policies that have held Japanese women back. Political rivals have accused her of serving as a puppet to men in her party; one male lawmaker recently described her as a bride who had married into a powerful political faction.
In Japan, women have long been severely underrepresented at the highest levels of business, government and society, the product of a culture that expects them to bear a disproportionate share of child care and housework.
But on Tuesday, the country is poised for a milestone: Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line conservative lawmaker who idolizes Margaret Thatcher, is expected to be named Japan’s next prime minister during an extraordinary session of Parliament. She would be the first woman to serve in that role and the first woman at the top of Japanese government in centuries.
Ms. Takaichi, 64, is a divisive figure in Japan, and her breaking of the glass ceiling has drawn a range of reactions. Her supporters have hailed her as a pioneer who knows firsthand the challenges of Japan’s male-dominated culture. Activists and scholars have expressed concern that she will continue to support policies that have held Japanese women back. Political rivals have accused her of serving as a puppet to men in her party; one male lawmaker recently described her as a bride who had married into a powerful political faction.