Japanese Women in Politics
FORGING AHEAD
"Women can't do anything. They should just shut up."
These are the words of a male candidate for a seat in Japan's parliament. He eventually lost the 1996 race-to his female opponent. In Japan, breaking into the male stronghold of politics is hard work. But many of the nation's women have decided they will not shut up and they are running for public office. They insist on being a part of shaping tomorrow's Japan.
Japanese women are among the best educated in the world. But in a 1995 international survey, Japan ranked 145th out of 161 countries for the proportion of women to men in parliament. In October 1996, just prior to the national election, women held only 2% of seats in the powerful lower house of Japan's parliament, or Diet. A record number of women-153-ran in the elections and, afterward, the number holding seats had nearly doubled from 12 to 23. Today, 9% of Diet members (4% of the lower house and 15% of the upper) are women. But as women become more active and vocal, they continue to find resistance strong and national politics hard to break into.
According to the Tokyo Journal (October, 1996), Japan is still a male society-so male that "when people talk of women in politics they often mean the wives of politicians." Women are still expected to stay at home and care for the house and children. They are expected to be modest and passive. And Japanese law still requires that married couples use one surname, which almost always means the man's. But as women work to move into the male world of politics, they are not merely imitating men. They speak as women whose concerns have not been adequately addressed by government.
Women are, in some cases, carrying their concerns into national politics. Senator Tamako Nakanishi, for example, authored and fought for the nation's equal employment opportunity law to open up jobs to women. But it is in local politics that women are beginning to find real strength. They organize around such issues as care facilities for the elderly and "real-life" issues like waste management. Some women say they are tired of the intense focus on economic issues and want to give attention to other domestic concerns.
While women are still less than 5% of local legislators, and though more than half of local assemblies still have no women members, Japanese women continue to organize and help each other push on. As one assemblywoman says, "Even a woman at relative disadvantage, with no experience in politics, has a fair chance of winning an election if she has a network of friendly people to help her learn the practical skills, keep up with the latest information and support one another."
BY WAY OF COMPARISON
In Japan today:
In the U.S. today:
While conventional wisdom holds that Japanese women lag behind American women in entering politics, note that these figures are not radically different. It is also notable that a woman, Takako Doi, served as speaker of Japan's House of Representatives for 3 years-an accomplishment Americans have yet to match.
WORDS FROM THE WOMEN
"My purpose for coming into politics
was to write bills that protect women,
to raise the status of women, eliminate
discrimination in the workplace and
so forth. And for the care of children
and care of the elderly."
"It's difficult to take issues to the parties and use the women's caucus. The caucus works only when female Diet members recognize the need to unite together to work out issues...Women must express their wishes and views in the world of politics. Women must choose a female candidate. Japan's women are not known for choosing female candidates."
"Bills I wrote were very idealistic and I got the approval and support of the male parliamentarians. It's very hard to persuade gentlemen here, but we have to persuade them and let them join us women. Otherwise, nothing can be done."
"Women all over the world face the same difficulties, the same hurdles. But especially in Japan. Women are not supposed to be outspoken in front of the public. Male members of the labor organization told me, 'Please, just stand in front of the audience. If you open your mouth, you are very very radical. But just stand and smile."
"Male politicians think industry and business are important. Profitability is their priority. They think my opinions, to make a good society for aged people and housewives, are childish."
"I believe the 21st Century is the century for the woman and it is for us to attack the issues."
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