[Feature: Confronting the Gender Gap] How to Increase Female Political Leaders: Challenging the Male-Dominated Society that Discourages Women

2020/04/06

According to the "Gender Gap Index" published annually by the World Economic Forum, Japan finally fell to 121st place—its lowest ever—at the end of 2019. Japan's low ranking stems from the overwhelming lack of women in leadership positions in both politics and the economy. This is particularly acute in politics; the current index reflects data from a time when there was only one female cabinet minister, leading to the drop to 121st. Unless the gender gap in politics is resolved, achieving gender equality in society and the economy will become even more difficult. Therefore, the scarcity of women in politics should be treated as an extremely serious issue.

In 2018, the Act on Promotion of Gender Equality in the Political Field was passed unanimously. It established the basic principle that political parties should aim for parity—an equal number of men and women—when nominating candidates. Many opposition parties have succeeded in increasing their number of female legislators by setting numerical targets. However, because the ruling party's efforts have lagged, the number of female candidates in last year's unified local elections and House of Councillors election saw only a slight increase. Moving forward, it is essential that political parties continue to strive to discover candidates while simultaneously implementing initiatives to support women who step forward.

The reasons for the lack of female legislators overlap significantly with the lack of women in management positions in corporations and government. A point often raised is that "women lack the desire for promotion." It is also suggested that low motivation and the difficulty of ensuring work-life balance are factors in the background. Regarding work-life balance, there is no choice but to advance work-style reforms and enhance social support for childcare and child-rearing.

But what about motivation? Even if a woman's "motivation" is low, we must realize that this is not the woman's own problem, but something created by a male-dominated society. Without this realization, we will not succeed in increasing the ratio of women in leadership positions.

I once visited 14 organizations in the United States that conduct training seminars for female political leaders. Every seminar viewed women's lack of confidence as an issue and provided programs to build it. This is because women tend to have lower self-evaluations; even when approached, they often decline, thinking they lack experience or ability.

Why do women lack confidence compared to men? This is strongly influenced by gender norms. Rather than being evaluated for their studies or work, women are more likely to be evaluated based on their appearance or attractiveness to the opposite sex, which makes it harder for them to feel confident in social activities. Furthermore, the low social and financial valuation of childcare and housework—roles typically assigned to women—also leads to lower self-evaluation. To address this issue, we must become sensitive to the harmful gender stereotypes spread by advertising and the media and take steps to break through them.

Furthermore, education and training that help women realize their own value are effective. At the Academy for Gender Parity, which I co-direct with Professor Ki-young Shin of Ochanomizu University, we train young female political leaders (Academy for Gender Parity). Our efforts there combine changing the image of politics with a deep dive into personal motivations. Training that encourages individuals to take the first step and heightens their ambition to participate in politics is proving effective.

One reason women do not step forward for—or decline—political or managerial positions is that they do not find the roles appealing. In the case of politicians, the duties are not well understood, and the negative image of politicians encountered through the media also distances women from politics. If the content of the work and its true rewards are not communicated, it is only natural that there will be a shortage of candidates.

What is the work of a politician? At the Academy for Gender Parity, we put this question to 12 female politicians and use a video of their edited responses as teaching material. During recording, all 12 answered that the first thing they do is "listen." They listen closely to the voices in their constituencies or across the nation, hearing everyone's worries and problems. Then, they identify the flaws in laws or budgets behind those problems and search for improvements. Rather than solving each worry individually, they incorporate them into systems and seek political solutions. If there is no law, they create one; if the budget is insufficient, they secure funding. Then, they must coordinate to build consensus and bring the matter to a decision in the legislature.

When I show this video material, the students are uniformly surprised, but I am surprised by their reaction. It seems that the work of a politician as seen by voters is limited to elections or questions during Diet broadcasts; they are hardly recognized as beings who listen to our voices. As long as people think "a politician is someone who just says what they want to say unilaterally," the pool of people entering the profession will remain limited. If only people who are bundles of self-display enter politics, it will hinder the development of democracy.

Therefore, one mission that female political leader training seminars must fulfill is to change the image of politics. To that end, it is necessary to introduce them to role models who are doing their jobs properly. Video materials are one way, but I have also felt that inviting actual legislators for panel discussions and workshops is effective.

A deeper analysis of women's motivation is also necessary. Why does it appear (to men) that women have low motivation? In fields where there are almost no women, male-centered cultures, norms, and practices are established, and information exchange and decision-making take place within male-only homosocial networks. For the residents within, the desire for recognition is satisfied by having their abilities and contributions acknowledged by that world. However, women who are not in this circle are often evaluated "as women." Being a woman is added as a criterion for evaluating ability, in ways such as "despite being a woman" or "uniquely feminine." This is because the male method of evaluating ability is perceived as the "standard," while women's abilities and contributions are treated as exceptions.

Women feel conflict and a sense of injustice regarding such evaluations from a male-dominated society. Rising in status might be a great honor for a man, but for a woman, it might be something she gained because she "abandoned her womanhood," or conversely, she might have been given special treatment precisely because she is a woman. Even if she attains a high position, it does not mean she can become a regular member of the male society, and that position might not hold value within women's networks.

Women who appear to have low motivation from a male perspective are grappling with these conflicts. What seems like a lack of ambition is not a problem with the women, but stems from the fact that male society does not evaluate women fairly.

Politics is a typical male-dominated society, but what kind of "motivation" do women who dare to aim for politics have? When delving into the motives for running for office, it is known that women have less desire for honor or power compared to men; instead, they are often driven by motives such as having specific policies they want to realize or wanting to improve their local community.

I have personally met many women who aspire to a type of politics that reduces the number of people struggling with life, rather than politics aimed at maintaining the current power order. By changing the image of politics and re-examining the motivation to improve society, one can realize the value of their own past experiences and see a path to utilizing them in politics. Working together to delve into these personal motivations, solidifying the resolve to run for office, and building confidence is one of the roles of female political leader training seminars.

Understanding the gender differences regarding motivation also leads to a re-evaluation of male-dominated society. Women might be "foreign objects" with different motivations and goals than the previous residents. However, the entry of foreign objects serves as a catalyst for making irrational or sexist practices visible. Of course, there will be resistance, suppression, exclusion, and co-option from old residents who are unhappy with the intrusion of such "foreign objects." This is likely happening in all organizations, not just in politics.

Therefore, increasing the number of women in leadership positions is not easy. If women are to truly stand on equal footing with men, the existing male-dominated society will be forced to change. Unless that happens, the appointment of women will peak at 20% to just under 30% at most. If it stops at that level, men will be able to maintain a sense of having a superior status over women. In other words, an organization where women in leadership positions do not even reach 30% can be said to be dominated by an outdated, male-centered organizational culture. Politics is a prime example.

Increasing female leaders is two sides of the same coin as transforming organizational culture. Increasing female legislators leads to changing male-centered politics. Rather, more women need to take leadership positions in order to change the old political culture. Women and minorities who fall outside the bounds of male society are more likely to be reform-oriented than status-quo-oriented, and they will push forward efforts to address issues that have been marginalized until now.

That is precisely why resistance to the appointment of women is strong. However, if we do not achieve this, the development of Japanese politics and society will stop, and they will be enveloped in stagnation and a sense of dead-end. That surely cannot be the future we desire.