Japan needs quota debate to raise women's representation in politics

Key facts

• Japan ranks 138th out of 146 countries in political representation for women.
• The percentage of women in Japan's House of Representatives has remained stagnant for decades.
• The 2018 Promotion of Gender Equality in the Political Field Act encourages parties to aim for gender parity in candidate nominations.
• Some Japanese political parties have increased their female candidate nominations following the 2018 law.
• Debates continue in Japan regarding the effectiveness of current measures and the potential implementation of quota systems.

Japan faces a persistent challenge in achieving gender equality within its political sphere, with a notably low representation of women in parliament. Despite the passage of the Promotion of Gender Equality in the Political Field Act in 2018, which encourages political parties to nominate an equal number of male and female candidates, the effectiveness of this legislation is under scrutiny. The country's ranking in the World Economic Forum's gender gap report has fallen, particularly in political representation, where it ranks 138th out of 146 countries.

While the 2018 law has prompted some parties, such as the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party, to field a higher percentage of female candidates in recent elections, this has not yet translated into a significant overall increase in women's representation. The percentage of women in the House of Representatives has seen minimal change over several decades, hovering around 9.7% in 2021, a slight increase from 8.4% in 1946. The 2022 House of Councillors election saw 25.8% of elected members being women.

Experts and policymakers are now considering more robust measures, including the debate around implementing quota systems, drawing lessons from countries like Germany. Research is being conducted to understand public support for such quotas in Japan and to identify persuasive framing strategies for voters. The goal remains to achieve greater gender balance in politics, a long-term endeavor requiring multifaceted efforts.