Nordic Talks Japan: A More Equal Democracy — Women’s Representation in Politics
The Nordic countries have promoted gender equality for decades. Gender equality contributes to sound government policymaking, employment, and family welfare, and it also fosters stronger businesses. Achieving a gender balance in political representation and participation is a matter of justice, equality, and democracy. Involving the young generation is also an important dimension of the topic.
What should we do to make more gender-equal democracies function in Japan, the Nordics, and around the world?
On April 7th, Nordic Innovation House Tokyo, the 5 Nordic Embassies in Japan, and the Finnish Institute in Japan held our 4th Nordic Talks Japan event to discuss the topic. We had an exciting venue provided by our partner UNIVERSITY of CREATIVITY at Akasaka Biz Tower in Tokyo. Online and offline participation combined, we had a total of +200 participants listening to the discussion. The event consisted of 3 sessions: Session 1 to explore the status quo of Japanese politics and gender equality, Session 2 to learn from Nordic cases and lessons learned, and Session 3, to discuss the role of the younger generation and media in achieving gender equality.
All photos courtesy of Nordic Talks Japan / UNIVERSITY of CREATIVITY
The event was opened by the Ambassador of Iceland to Japan, H.E. Mr. Stefan Haukur Johannesson. In his remarks, he explained the aim of the Nordic Talks Japan series — to inspire each other and enhance cooperation toward a sustainable future, and emphasized that gender equality is a human right and essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The speakers were then introduced and the dialogue began.
Session 1: Japanese Politics and the State of Gender Equality
Session 1 proceeded in a form of an interview by the moderator, Mr. Ryan Takeshita, PIVOT Chief Global Editor, with Mr. Takuma Miyaji, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office, Japan, on the status quo of politics and gender equality in Japan.
Female MPs: less than half of other developed countries
Takeshita: What are the reasons for the lack of gender equality in Japan’s political scene? What are the challenges?
Miyaji: Female MPs consist only around 14% in Japan for both the lower and upper house and local governments on average. This is less than half of Europe countries and the United States. This is probably because the current political system is difficult to balance work and family life, and the stereotype that politics is for men is strong. Female legislators are often harassed and dragged down by their male peers.
In 2008 a law to enforce gender equality in politics was passed through a bipartisan effort. But the situation remains as same as the field being plowed but the seeds have been forgotten.
FemTech Council: to achieve a fair stage
Miyaji: I was shocked to learn that women have a limited period of time at full physical capacity due to their unique menstrual periods, menopause, and physical changes related to pregnancy and childbirth. This is what prompted me to launch the Liberal Democratic Party’s FemTech Council. The aim of the Council is to create a fair society and political sector by working on deregulation and other measures to enable technology to solve women’s specific health issues. The perception that equal opportunities already exist is not true.
Diversity is a drive for innovation
Takeshita: As the Ambassador pointed out in his opening remarks, I believe that gender equality is a fundamental human right that must be achieved by any means. At the same time, there is a strategic aspect to achieving gender equality, such as making society more innovative. What kind of society do you think will be realized by achieving gender equality?
Miyaji: I totally agree. It is an undeniable fact that diversity is a source of innovation. When considering how to maintain national strength in a society with a super-declining population, diversity is a key factor. It is difficult to enhance innovation in a society without diversity. We want to attract people and investment from abroad, but who would be attracted to a closed and uniform society? Japan needs to achieve gender equality not only as a natural human rights issue but also in a socioeconomic sense.
Mindsets are changing among younger politicians
Takeshita: I don’t want to make this too much of a generational issue, but are the attitudes of politicians of the younger generation changing?
Miyaji: Politicians of my generation are definitely changing. In addition, I feel that the awareness of voters and society is changing as well. For example, I was elected from Kagoshima, one of the regions with the most traditional values. But my wife is not involved in any of my elections because she works in Tokyo. Some of my supporters say that I should be talking more about diplomatic and economic issues. But I put femtech as my first priority and I was still elected. This is one proof that voters’ mindsets are changing.
Educating the bureaucrats
Takeshita: Finally, can you share with us how you plan to take further action on this issue?
Miyaji: I am currently in a position to work on this issue as a member of the government. First of all, I will talk about FemTech and gender equality in a training session for new recruits to the Cabinet Office. Furthermore, I hope to bring awareness to the Japanese bureaucrats as a whole.
Session 2: Case of the Nordics — Frontrunners in Gender Equality
For Session 2 we welcomed Ms. Hanna Birna Kristjansdóttir from Iceland (Chair of the Reykjavík Global Forum, Senior Advisor at UN Women, Former Mayor of Reykjavík, and Minister of Interior in Iceland) and Ms. Aida Hadzialic from Sweden (Current leader of the opposition in Stockholm county, former Swedish Minister of Upper Secondary School, Adult Education, and Training (youngest minister ever in Sweden)), to trace the achievements of the Nordics in gender equality and seek advice to Japan. Some of the remarks are as follows.
Gender Equality Does Not Occur Spontaneously
Takeshita: Thank you very much Hanna and Aida for joining. What is the most important factor for achieving gender equality in politics?
Hanna: The gender gap is greatest in politics and leadership. For example, the percentage of female MPs around the world is approximately 25%, but when it comes to heads of state, the percentage drops to 7%. 93% of the countries and more than 90% of large corporates in the world are led by men. Under these circumstances, it is crucial to recognize that gender equality cannot be achieved by nature but only by decision. In this regard, I am very happy that the Parliamentary Vice-Minister recognized in Session 1 that gender equality is an issue that must be tackled and solved.
Aida: It is important to raise a loud voice that true democracy cannot be achieved unless there is gender equality in the number of parliamentarians. One of the reasons why such a small country in Northern Europe like Sweden was able to maintain international competitiveness and remain a global player is that we see the entire population as valuable human and labor resources.
Statistics-based decision is a key
Takeshita: Can you share some examples of successful policies and lessons learned in Iceland and Sweden?
Hanna: Iceland has been ranked №1 in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index for 12 consecutive years. This achievement is a result of decision making based on statistics which shows gender equality has economic and health benefits. It is a result of consensus-building over many years that gender equality is one of the foundations of our society.
But this does not mean that Iceland is heaven. Throughout my career as a female politician for 20 years until I retired 10 years ago, even in Iceland, I felt like a “guest”. I was always a minority, and I felt like I was playing a game for men designed by men. People are so used to seeing men in front of crowds. If you ask people to close their eyes and imagine a leader, I’m sure most people will imagine a man.
Aida: If I were to mention one best practice in Sweden, it would be that 30 years ago, several political parties in Sweden decided to become gender-equal in electing their representatives. My party specifically decided that the gender ratio of candidates would be a perfect 1:1. This has now become a norm among Swedish parties. Also, paternity leave is widely accepted by society. The current government also pursues feminist government, feminist foreign policy, and feminist budgeting, which means policies are examined in terms of their impact on gender equality.
However, as the same in Iceland, Sweden has not yet achieved full gender equality. It has done well in politics and democracy, but there is more to be achieved in the private sector. Improving the balance among board representatives is an example, and business leaders are aware of this. Data shows that the more gender equality achieved among board representatives, the better the company does in the market.
Introducing quota system to move forward
Takeshita: Do you think a quota system is necessary to achieve gender equality? In Japan, many people are against it because they think it will take away the male quota.
Hanna: Numbers are very important. To make a game change, we need to have many women politicians. Some parties have a quota system in Iceland and some don’t. I used to think it is not necessary, but now, seeing the situation improve so slowly, I strongly feel the need for a quota system. The quota system will not take the male quota away. 50% of the population is female, so it is very natural that females should have 50% representation.
Aida: I agree with Hanna. Numbers are very important because we need structural changes to equalize gender in both politics and business. The government has announced its plan to introduce a quota system for corporate board representatives if the progress in the private sector is slow. Fortunately, this announcement alone has motivated many companies to make changes.
Takeshita: What kind of change is needed in the private sector?
Hanna: The private sector is exactly the same as politics, it is all about decision-making. In Iceland, decisions have led to parental leave being applied equally to men and women, and equal pay for men and women legally secured. Companies need to be more sensitive to the issue and change their views on stereotypes and role models.
Aida: A management at IKEA Japan told me a few years ago that the better child care and parental leave opportunities they offered attracted many well-educated, skilled women to the company, and that without these women, they would never have been able to reach the level of business development they have achieved. Structural changes should be made and a gender-equal work environment must be secured.
A female head of state will give a huge impact on society and the younger generation
Takeshita: Japan has yet to have a female prime minister. What is the impact of having a female head of state?
Hanna: The impact is enormous. One of the reasons Iceland is a leading country in gender equality is that it was the first country in the world to have a democratically elected female national leader. I was about 15 at the time, and it totally changed my view of the world.
Moving forward from “why” to “how”
Takeshita: How can Japan change?
Hanna: It is important to move from why to how. Women represent half of the population. There is no more need to discuss why gender equality is necessary. It is also important not to be bound by traditional norms and stereotypes, and to make sure that the parliament is gender-equal. Role models are also very important. It is also necessary for society as a whole to form a consensus on gender equality. If there are men in Japan who are worried that gender equality will have a negative impact on them, please tell them that they will actually live longer if gender equality is achieved. Gender equality is a win-win for both men and women.
Aida: It is important to recognize that gender equality is not something that can be achieved by women alone. For example, when Swedish political parties worked to achieve gender equality 30 years ago, they joined forces with labor unions that were predominated by men. It is also important to act on data and statistics.
Session 3:
Session 3 took place in a town hall-style to discuss the role of the media and the younger generation in Japan on gender equality. 6 inspiring frontrunners took part in the discussion (in Japanese alphabetical order): Megumi Okano (University of Tokyo Law School student), Mana Saza (Director, SWiTCH), Sayuri Daimon (former editor-in-chief of The Japan Times), Momoko Nojo (Director, NO YOUTH NO JAPAN), Yuki Murohashi (Director, Japan Younth Conference), Aya Motohashi ( Producer, UNIVERSITY of CREATIVITY)
Unconscious biases built from childhood
Saza: I am currently living in Japan for the first time in several years and am shocked to see that gender bias at a young age, for example, pink for girls and blue for boys, still exists. It is important to address the issue in younger age education.
Motohashi: Bias is something that we all have, and one of the major roles of the media is to make people aware of the biases they have. After listening to sessions 1 and 2, I am feeling the importance of recognizing biases even more.
Mandatory retirement age for politicians?
Nojo: We might need a mechanism to encourage older male leaders in politics and media to quit earlier.
Okano: The current situation in Japan is that the leadership is dominated by people who cannot take responsibility for the future. Such people should be involved in society in other ways, not as leaders.
Daimon: Japanese politics has high barriers to enter and a poor system for replacement. We can start by lowering the eligible age to run for political representatives.
Murohashi: The Nordic countries have a proportional representation system, whereas Japan has a single-seat constituency system, which can easily lead to almost lifetime employment. How to overcome this difference is an issue.
More female journalists can bring more diverse media content
Daimon: In the media working place, there are few women reporters as well as women in management positions. One bad habit that politics and media have in common is that those who work long hours are the ones who are promoted. It is difficult to change this all at once, but the number of female reporters is gradually increasing, and cross-organization cooperation is happening to enforce their power.
Nojo: When I was gathering petitions when MP Yoshiro Mori made his remarks disrespecting women last year, Reuters was the first to cover my activity. Only a couple of days later it was followed by Japanese media. But all the reporters except one were women, and I was happy to see this change.
Murohashi: The media should be visualizing such good examples. As the number of female reporters increases, the content of broadcasting will also change. For example, NHK’s special series on poverty were led by women.
Media leaning too much toward telling “great stories of individuals”
Nojo: Whenever there is a report on youth or women activists, many stories focus on individuals — they want to tell a story of a unique woman who is putting great effort into a social issue. There is little coverage of the substance of their activities, what they have achieved through their efforts, and what still remains to be tackled by society as a whole.
Murohashi: It is difficult to immediately change the electoral system, but there are good role models in Japan. For example, Yuriko Koike, the first female Governor of Tokyo, and Tokyo and Hiroshima’s first female leader of Board of Education. Also, Yamagata Prefecture has the highest youth voter turnout, but the media does not report why Yamagata is at the top of the list and therefore its efforts are not spread to other local governments. The media should report more on the importance of having women and youth as leaders, and how we can make it happen.
The transition from “why” to “how”
Saza: We need to go beyond just inviting young people to the discussion tables with no actual actions taken. For example, the user advisory system can be introduced to the parliament to incorporate young people’s opinions into the system. As it was mentioned in Session 2, we should really be moving from “why” to “how”.
Okano: The young people who are invited to these events are becoming always the same. They/we are mere guests, not part of the table.
Saza: 1 out of every 2.5 Gen Zs want to make a positive impact on society. If companies cannot meet their needs, I’m afraid that young people will leave the country. Companies need long-term plans and actions.
Murohashi: The generation now graduating from university and seeking for jobs prioritizes work-life balance over salary. Companies should be making the shift to respond to this value. Also, in the Nordics, I see that young activists who are working to change the society are supported. But in Japan, they are often unfavored by companies and criticized on social media. I would like all generations to come together to change this kind of atmosphere.
The discussion could have continued for a while, but unfortunately, our time was running out. To conclude the event, Ambassador from Sweden to Japan H.E. Pereric Högberg gave closing remarks. The Ambassador suggested what men can do for gender equality: the next time you attend a meeting where all members are men, ask yourself whether this makes sense, and even have the courage to reorganize the meeting with more gender balance. “The Nordics Talks Japan series will continue, and we are open to any suggestions on topics that you want us to feature. Thank you.”
Thank you for reading till the end! You can also watch the whole discussion in English here:
Nordic Innovation House Tokyo is a community platform accelerating high-quality Nordic startups, scale-ups, and growth companies to Japan. Via our strong community and network, we connect Nordic companies into the right ecosystem stakeholders 🗼
ノルディックイノベーションハウス東京は、北欧５カ国のスタートアップ、スケールアップ、成長企業の日本進出を支援するコミュニティプラットフォームです。強力なコミュニティとネットワークを生かして、北欧企業と日本のステークホルダーを繋いでいきます。
🌐 Join the community! 🌐
下記メディアで最新情報をお伝えしています。
Newsletter |LinkedIn | Twitter | TwitterJP |Facebook
