Key facts
- Mayor Shoko Kawata of Yawata, Japan, announced she will take maternity leave.
- Kawata is the first mayor in Japan to take maternity leave.
- She will be off for two months before and two months after her due date in mid-September.
- Her deputy, Shigeto Nose, will temporarily carry out her role.
- The decision has sparked a divided national debate on women in public office and childbirth.
Shoko Kawata, the 35-year-old mayor of Yawata, a small town in western Japan, has announced she will take maternity leave around her mid-September due date. This decision makes her the first mayor in Japan to take such leave, sparking a significant and divided national debate. Kawata plans to be off for two months before and two months after giving birth, with her deputy, Shigeto Nose, temporarily assuming her duties. While her colleagues at City Hall have been supportive, public reaction online has been mixed. Supporters view her decision as a positive step for women in politics and a way to normalize balancing family and career. Critics, however, argue that stepping away from public duties is irresponsible and that elected officials should prioritize their roles. Some suggest that politicians wanting extended leave should resign or have their salaries cut. Kawata has defended her decision, stating that criticizing politicians for taking maternity leave effectively excludes women of childbearing age from public office. She emphasized her enjoyment of her job and her belief that now is the right time to start a family. Shinji Ishimaru, a former mayor, suggested the focus should be on developing systems to ensure municipal work continues smoothly during maternity leave. Kawata, who became Japan's youngest female city mayor at 33, graduated from Kyoto University with an economics degree and has risen through a male-dominated political landscape where only about 4% of municipal leaders are women. Japan consistently ranks low on the global gender gap index, with barriers to women entering politics including pregnancy, societal assumptions about gender roles, and harassment. While Japan has statutory maternity and paternity leave, Kawata's situation highlights the lack of a legal framework for elected officials to take such time off. Deputy Mayor Nose, who will exercise full mayoral authority during Kawata's absence, acknowledged that many are watching how such situations are handled in practice. He reflected on his own past lack of parental leave and expressed happiness seeing his son-in-law take extended leave. Kawata believes that creating a society where women can balance work and family without having to choose is essential.