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JapanIs new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Despite promising to match the level of female representation, the government has appointed only two women to its 19-member Cabinet nordic countries.
Ms Takaichi, an ultra-conservative who on Tuesday Became the first woman Prime Minister of JapanHad promised to model his government’s gender balance on countries like iceland And finlandWhere almost half of all cabinet members are women.
But the new lineup, announced just hours after her election, mirrors the male-dominated composition of previous governments.
Satsuki Katayama was appointed Finance Minister, becoming the first woman to hold the role, while Kimi Onoda will serve as Economic Security Minister.
During her campaign, Ms Takachi promised to form a Cabinet with representation of women, which would be “no less than that of the Nordic countries in particular”.
“I will not appoint women just because they are women,” she said at a party rally last month. “But the plan is to elect more women who are capable and willing to serve the country.”
Six of Iceland’s 11 ministers and 11 of Finland’s 19 ministers are women. In contrast, female representation in Japan’s lower house is only 15.7 percent, with 73 of the 465 lawmakers being women – a record high for the country but still one of the lowest in the developed world.
Ms Takachi’s appointment follows her party’s poor performance in the July election, which forced the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to form a new right-wing coalition with the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party.
Her rise marks a watershed moment for Japanese politics, but also underscores the persistence of deep gender inequalities. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Index, Japan ranks 118th out of 148 countries, lagging behind most of its peers in the G7.
Ms Takachi, 64, has long been known for her radical and nationalist views. A protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she supports expanding Japan’s military role, maintaining the imperial family’s male-only line of succession, and opposes gay marriage and different surnames for married couples — positions that align her with Japan’s conservative establishment.
According to one, his approval rating is currently 64.4 percent kyodo news The survey published on Wednesday – significantly higher than what his predecessors, Shigeru Ishiba (50.7 percent) and Fumio Kishida (55.7 percent) did when they first took office.
Ms. Takaichi, who quoted Margaret Thatcher As a political role model, he said he hoped to strengthen Japan’s economy and international standing while ensuring “political stability.” But as her government takes shape, many observers say it will require more than symbolism to change the balance of power in one of the world’s most male-dominated parliaments.
While Ms. Takachi has talked about improving women’s health and cited her own experience of menopause, critics say her leadership does not signal broader progress toward gender equality.
“The prospect of the first female prime minister does not make me happy,” sociologist Chizuko Ueno said on
Others expressed cautious optimism. Japan’s youngest female mayor Naomi Koshi told Kyodo News: “Takaichi becoming prime minister has great significance in terms of the broad impact it will have on society.”