Japan Press Weekly

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2024 July 3 - 9 TOP3 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

‘Those with few children should reflect on this’ is LDP attitude and main obstacle to gender equality

“Everyone who has few children should put your hands on your hearts and reflect,” Sasagawa Takashi, a former member of the House of Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party, said on April 7.

At a meeting of the LDP Gunma Prefectural Federation held on the day in Maebashi City, he also said, “If men are strong and have enough stamina, women will surely have children.”

He is a leading figure in the LDP, having served as chairman of the LDP General Council and Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy in the Mori Cabinet. His controversial remarks have once again highlighted the LDP’s outdated and distorted sense of human rights.

To marry or not to marry, to have children or not, is an individual freedom of choice. The problem is that many people find it difficult to enjoy that freedom to choose due to economic and social circumstances. From the perspective of gender equality, Sasagawa’s remarks are unacceptable.

LDP lawmakers have repeatedly made statements reminiscent of Japan’s prewar militaristic population policy, “give more births, have more children.” Yanagisawa Hakuo, former Health, Labor and Welfare Minister, said that women are “birth-giving machines” and Sakurada Yoshitaka, former Minister in charge of the Olympics, said, “I’d like parents or grandparents to ask their daughters or granddaughters to have at least three children.”

The anachronistic ideology of LDP lawmakers is the very obstacle to the current global trend moving toward gender equality and the establishment of individual dignity.

Past related articles:
> ‘To raise children is important service to state’ seems to be common belief among LDP [June 3, 2019]
> LDP lawmaker’s ‘raise at least 3 kids’ remark is epitomy of sexual harassment: JCP Kasai [May 11&12, 2018]
> JCP Sasaki grills Abe Cabinet over welfare minister’s remarks [January 9, 2007]