Japan lawmaker Tomomi Inada slams lack of gender balance in PM Yoshihide Suga's cabinet

Nearly a week after Yoshihide Suga was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Japan, a prominent member of the ruling party described the politics in the nation as “democracy without men”. Since just two women MPs were appointed in Suga’s cabinet, a former defence minister from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Tomomi Inada was quoted by The Guardian on Wednesday, September 23 as being critical of Japan’s record of gender equality in politics. 

According to reports, the lawmaker directed her disagreement at the party and lashed out on the decision of having only two women in the governing cabinet. She informed that women make up nearly half of entire Japan’s population along with the 40 percent of the party’s membership, therefore, she added that if women fail to secure a place at discussing policies, Japan’s democracy would continue to remain ‘biased’. 

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Suggestions 'not taken seriously'

During the campaign for the leader of the LDP who was also assured of being the successor of former Japan PM Shinzo Abe, reportedly a group of female MPs had submitted their recommendations to the eventual winner. These included Suga along with two male rivals on female representation in the final cabinet on the LDP’s executive. However, Tomomi Inada said, based on the outcome of the elections, that their suggestions “weren’t taken that seriously”. 

Inada was reported noted how her remarks are not only for the sake of females but also to improve the democracy in Japan while also assuring its “bright future”. She added that she is willing to build a society that involves more number of women having a voice in political matters of the country.

Inada said she wants to “realise a more free, democratic and diverse” political landscape so that even females in Japan can dream to be the next Prime Minister of the nation. Till now, the only woman who has run for the party leadership of more than 65 years was Yuriko Koike who eventually left after becoming governor of Tokyo in 2016. 

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