The Nation's First Female Prime Minister: An Unprecedented Event that Comes with Caveats

For many young girls in Japan today, the sight of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm as the nation's inaugural female leader is powerful and influential.

This signifies a male-oriented culture and a political system that has historically been controlled by men is now led by a woman.

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

“It was quite interesting to see how individuals outside Japan have reacted to the announcement,” a 21-year-old states.

People are saying, ‘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’.

“I think that's a rather simplistic interpretation.”

Instead, the young woman highlights her “political beliefs and what she stands for,” adding: “She perpetuates the patriarchal system.”

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

Similar to Thatcher, Takaichi is a firm conservative.

Analysts note her ascension is a strategic decision from the governing Liberal Democratic Party to attract the increasingly right-leaning base which had lately shifted towards Japan's parties further to the right.

The leader is against same-sex marriage and has long stood against legislation that would permit married couples to have separate surnames, preventing many females from keeping their birth surnames.

Additionally, she is opposed to females being in eligible for the throne in the royal household.

However, she moderated certain her statements during her campaign – saying she favours giving tax incentives to companies that offer daycare services to their employees and mentioned potential deductions for families spending on childcare.

Yet she has over the years supported the notion of a more traditional role for females in the community and in the home.

When it comes to gender matters, Takaichi is aligned with her nation's subpar record on gender issues.

The Country's Gender Gap in Perspective

Women in Japan are some of the most highly educated and most skilled in the world and yet they face challenges with the expectations of a traditional culture that still pushes them into conventional positions.

According to the latest equality ranking by the global organization, Japan ranked 118th among 148 nations, with female representation in the field of politics particularly minimal.

Leadership positions have traditionally been dominated by men and Japan has struggled to increase the quantity of women legislators and business leaders.

The globally fourth biggest economy ranks at the bottom among the G7 countries when it comes to the share of females in its legislative body. Specifically, women make up about less than 16% of lawmakers in Japan, the lowest figure among the seven major economies.

Progress is also sluggish when it comes to female healthcare: recently was it revealed that the “emergency” pill – a type of emergency contraception available without prescription in more than 90 countries – had finally been approved for over the counter use in Japan.

Mixed Responses to the Historic Leadership

Even so, certain individuals view Takaichi's ascent as a critical juncture that could alter how females perceive their prospects.

“There is great significance in the new prime minister becoming prime minister, with a wider influence on the public,” Naomi Koshi – who became the country's most youthful woman city leader in 2012 – told Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Koshi argued Japan having a female prime minister will “lower psychological barriers” for women and girls, enabling them to believe it is acceptable to “excel” as authorities in businesses and society, even as gender-based stereotypes and norms still remain.

But a 20-year-old notes that, while it is remarkable Japan has its first female leader, one must remember it required her more than 30 years to reach that office.

“She's also not truly going against the grain. She's saying the same thing as the men.”

Ms Hill-Uekawa adds that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal just due to the fact she is a woman.

“It is essential to make sure we're talking about her policies. We need to be capable of evaluate her fairly as all other leaders.”

Political Context and Influences

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

Additionally, it is apparent by which individuals her supporters inside the party have been.

She was mentored of the deceased former conservative prime minister Shinzo Abe, and was backed in the party vote by a senior politician – a prominent member in the ruling party at the leadership of one of the government's most influential conservative blocs.

Their group's backing for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in uniting the party's right wing behind her.

“I believe that it is challenging for women to sort of relate to her achievement because it furthers this notion that we must be compliant with the status quo,” young adult a citizen says.

Ms Ogura concurs, saying that with her as a figurehead for women in politics, “the public are likely to anticipate the identical from us as too”.

“They're going to expect us to be compliant, not oppose the ideals that they hold, and it might make our role harder.”

Upcoming Challenges and Expectations

Achieving this milestone, though, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will face – including tackling a sluggish economy and inflation and winning back the confidence of a discontented and irate electorate, as in addition to hosting president Trump within days of taking power.

One can reasonably assume that few anticipate gender equality issues to be a top priority on her priority list.