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For many female youth in Japan today, the sight of Sanae Takaichi assuming leadership as the country's inaugural woman prime minister is powerful and influential.

This signifies a patriarchal society and a government structure that has long been dominated by men is now led by a woman.

But while the optics suggest a progressive moment, certain females don't see her as an champion of progress.

It was rather interesting to see how people beyond Japan's borders have responded to the announcement,” Ayda Ogura says.

“Everyone's like, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in the nation's past and that would be a significant chance for female advancement and equal rights in Japan’.

In my opinion that's a very naive interpretation.”

Conversely, the young woman highlights her “ideological stance and what she stands for,” noting: “She perpetuates the male-dominated structure.”

A big fan of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has long aspired to be the “Steel Magnolia” of her nation.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a staunch right-wing politician.

Observers say her leadership is a strategic decision from the governing LDP to attract the more conservative base which had recently gravitated towards Japan's more extreme conservative groups.

Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage and has long stood against laws that would allow married couples to have different last names, preventing many women from keeping their maiden names.

Additionally, she is against women being in eligible for the throne in the imperial family.

However, she did soften some of her statements during her election bid – saying she favours giving financial benefits to companies that provide daycare services to their employees and mentioned potential tax breaks for families investing in childcare.

But she has over the years supported the idea of a conventional role for women in society and in the home.

When it comes to gender matters, Takaichi is aligned with her nation's less than impressive performance on equality concerns.

The Country's Gender Gap in Context

Women in Japan are some of the most highly educated and most skilled in the world and yet they face challenges with the expectations of a conservative society that still directs them into conventional positions.

According to the latest equality ranking by the global organization, Japan placed 118th among 148 nations, with female representation in the field of politics particularly minimal.

Leadership positions have traditionally been dominated by males and Japan has faced difficulties to boost the number of female lawmakers and corporate executives.

The globally fourth biggest economy ranks at the bottom among the G7 countries when it comes to the share of women in its national parliament. In detail, females make up about 15.7% of legislators in Japan, the lowest figure among the G7.

Progress is also sluggish when it comes to female healthcare: recently was it announced that the “emergency” pill – a type of emergency contraception available without prescription in over ninety nations – had finally been approved for non-prescription sales in Japan.

Differing Reactions to the Landmark Appointment

Nonetheless, some see Takaichi's rise to power as a pivotal moment that could alter how females view their opportunities.

“It is highly meaningful in the new prime minister assuming the role of prime minister, with a broader impact on the public,” a former mayor – who became the country's most youthful woman city leader in 2012 – told local media.

She contended Japan having a female prime minister will “lower mental obstacles” for females of all ages, enabling them to believe it is normal to “stand out” as authorities in businesses and society, even as biased expectations and expectations still persist.

But Audrey Hill-Uekawa notes that, while it is remarkable Japan has its inaugural woman leader, it is important to recall it took her more than 30 years to get to that position.

“Additionally, she is not really challenging the norm. She's saying the identical views as the men.”

The young woman adds that she shouldn't be put on a platform simply because she is a female.

“We need to make sure we're talking about her agenda. We need to be capable of criticise her fairly as all other leaders.”

Political Context and Associations

It is not just what Takaichi has said which has caused individuals to describe her as a supporter of the male-dominated system.

Additionally, it is evident by who her supporters within the LDP have were.

She's the protégé of the deceased ex- conservative prime minister Shinzo Abe, and was backed in the party vote by Taro Aso – a prominent member in the LDP at the leadership of one of the ruling party's most influential conservative blocs.

Their group's backing for Sanae Takaichi was crucial in consolidating the party's right wing behind her.

“I believe that it is challenging for females to sort of relate to her achievement because it promotes this notion that we must be obedient with the existing system,” young adult a citizen says.

The 21-year-old agrees, saying that with her as a figurehead for females in politics, “the public are likely to anticipate the same from women as too”.

“They will demand us to be conforming, not oppose the beliefs that they have, and it could render our role harder.”

Future Challenges and Expectations

Making history, though, was only the initial of the difficulties Takaichi will encounter – including addressing a sluggish economy and inflation and regaining the confidence of a discontented and irate voting public, as in addition to hosting the US leader within a short time of taking power.

One can reasonably assume that few anticipate women's rights matters to be a top priority on her agenda.