Japan Press Weekly

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2016 May 25 - 31 [POLITICS]

4 opposition parties’ bill calls for participation of more women in politics

The Japanese Communist Party and three other opposition parties on May 30 jointly submitted a bill to the Diet to promote gender equality in the area of politics.

While ensuring freedom of political parties and candidates, the bill will require each political party to voluntarily make efforts to equalize the number of men and women among their candidates as much as possible in national and local elections.

After submitting the bill together with lawmakers of the Democratic, Social Democratic, and People’s Life parties, JCP member of the House of Representatives Hatano Kimie said, “I will continue calling on Dietmembers of other political parties and increase the public mood to encourage women to enter politics. I will work hard toward the realization of this bill.”

Yamao Shiori, policy chief of the Democratic Party, said, “Japan has a 50/50 ratio of female to male. But, when it comes to the National Diet, female lawmakers account for only 10% of the total.” She called for rectifying this imbalance.