Japan’s first female PM Takaichi holds conservative gender views

Core Points - Sanae Takaichi is poised to become Japan's first female prime minister while holding socially conservative views in a patriarchal society [1] - She aims to appoint a cabinet with increased female representation compared to her predecessor, who had only two female ministers [2] - Takaichi has committed to raising awareness about women's health issues, including her personal experience with menopause [2] Gender Policy - Takaichi opposes changes to a law requiring married couples to share the same surname, which often leads to women adopting their husbands' names [3] - She supports maintaining male-only succession rules for the imperial family and is against same-sex marriage [3] - Despite her leadership role, Takaichi is expected to bring minimal changes to gender policy compared to previous administrations [4] Gender Inequality - Women held only 13.2% of management positions in Japan in 2021, the lowest among OECD countries [5] - Japan ranks 118th out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, indicating ongoing gender inequality [5] - The MeToo movement has seen limited impact in Japan, with few victims coming forward due to fears of online harassment [6]