The Diet has just enacted a law on “gender equality” for candidates in national and local elections. Will this bring about any change in Japan’s political culture in which male dominance is the accepted norm in both national and local elections?
Since the law will take effect as soon as it is promulgated, all political parties will now be obliged to make efforts “as much as possible” to ensure that they have equal numbers of male and female candidates in all elections.
Percentage of women among each party’s candidates and successful candidates in 2017 Lower House election
|
|
LDP |
Komeito |
CDPJ |
P. of Hope |
JCP |
SDP |
Ishin |
|
Total no. of candidates |
332 |
53 |
78 |
235 |
243 |
21 |
52 |
|
Female candidates |
25 |
5 |
19 |
47 |
58 |
4 |
4 |
|
Percentage of women |
8% |
9% |
24% |
20% |
24% |
19% |
8% |
|
Total no. of successful candidates |
284 |
29 |
55 |
50 |
12 |
2 |
11 |
|
Female candidates |
22 |
4 |
12 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Percentage of women |
8% |
14% |
22% |
4% |
25% |
0% |
9% |
(Abridged)
