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

According to the "Gender Gap Index" published annually by the World Economic Forum, Japan finally fell to 121st place at the end of 2019, its lowest ranking ever. 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 in the number of male and female candidates—in other words, an equal number of men and women. Many opposition parties have succeeded in increasing the 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 elections saw only a slight increase. It remains essential for political parties to continue efforts to scout candidates while simultaneously supporting women who step forward.

The reasons for the small number of female legislators overlap significantly with the reasons for the small number of women in management positions in corporations and government. It is often pointed out that "women lack the desire for promotion." Low motivation and the difficulty of ensuring work-life balance are cited as the background. For 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 women's "motivation" is low, we must realize that this is not a problem inherent to women themselves, but something created by a male-dominated society. Without this realization, we will not be able to increase 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 a problem and provided programs to build it. This is because women tend to have low self-evaluations; even when approached, they often decline, thinking they lack experience or have low 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 for their appearance or attractiveness to the opposite sex, which leads to difficulty in having confidence in social activities. Furthermore, the low social and financial valuation of childcare and housework—roles traditionally assigned to women—also leads to a decline in women's self-evaluation. To address this issue, we must become sensitive to the harmful gender stereotypes spread by advertising and the media and take initiatives to break through them.

Furthermore, education and training that help women realize their own value are effective. The Academy for Gender Parity (Parité Academy), which I co-direct with Professor Ki-young Shin of Ochanomizu University, trains young female political leaders (Academy for Gender Parity). Our efforts there have been effective in training women to take the first step and raise their aspirations to participate in politics by combining a shift in the image of politics with a deep dive into their motivations.

One reason women do not step forward for or decline political or managerial positions is that they do not find those 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 conveyed, it is only natural that there will be a shortage of candidates.

What is the work of a politician? At the Parité Academy, we put this question to 12 female politicians and use a video of their edited responses as teaching material. During recording, all 12 answered "listening" first. They listen closely to the voices of their constituencies or the nation, hearing everyone's worries and problems. Then, they identify the deficiencies in laws or budgets behind those problems and search for improvements. Instead of solving each worry personally, they incorporate them into systems and seek political solutions. If there is no law, they create one; if the budget is insufficient, they secure it. Then, they must coordinate toward consensus-building and bring it to a decision in the assembly.

When I show this video material, the students are uniformly surprised, but I am surprised by their reaction. It seems that the work of politicians as seen by voters is limited to elections or questions in 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 people who take up that job will be limited. If only people who are bundles of self-display desire become politicians, it will hinder the development of democracy.

Therefore, one of the missions that female political leader training seminars should 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 deep 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 in male-only homosocial networks. For the residents within, the desire for recognition is satisfied by having their abilities and contributions recognized by that world. However, women who are not in this circle are often evaluated "as women." Being a woman is added as one of the criteria for evaluating ability, in ways like "despite being a woman" or "uniquely female." This is because the male method of evaluating ability is perceived as the "standard," and women's abilities and contributions are treated as exceptions.

Women feel conflict and irrationality 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 hold no value in women's networks.

Women who appear to have low motivation from a male perspective are carrying these conflicts. What seems like a lack of drive is not a problem with 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 motivations for running for office, it is known that women have less desire for honor or power compared to men, and are instead often driven by motivations such as having policies they want to realize or wanting to make their region better.

I have personally met many women who aspire to a type of politics that reduces the number of people facing hardships, rather than maintaining the current power order. By shifting the image of politics and re-examining the motivation to improve society, one can realize the value of their 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 review of male-dominated society. Women might be "foreign objects" with different motivations and goals than the previous residents. However, the entry of foreign objects becomes an opportunity to make irrational or sexist practices visible. Of course, there will be resistance, oppression, exclusion, and co-option from old residents who do not welcome 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 shoulder-to-shoulder with men, the existing male-dominated society will have no choice but to change. Otherwise, the appointment of women will hit a ceiling 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 old-fashioned, male-centered organizational culture. Politics is a typical 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 traditional political culture. Women and minorities who have been marginalized from male society are more likely to be reform-oriented than status-quo-oriented, and will push forward efforts on 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 it, the development of Japanese politics and society will stop, and they will be enveloped in stagnation and impasse. That should not be the future we desire.