Abe makes good on pledge to empower women

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe named five female cabinet ministers yesterday, leading by example in a country which economists say must make better use of its highly- educated but underemployed women. The five make up more than a quarter of the 18- strong cabinet and come close to matching his declared aim for the percentage of women in senior positions. Abe has repeatedly spoken of the need to get more women into the labour market where an ever- shrinking workforce must provide for a growing number of retirees. He has said hewants 30 per cent of senior business and political positions occupied by women by 2020.

However, the female appointments — up from two in the last cabinet — marked a shift in emphasis for a body usually dominated by older men, where women frequently appear to be little more than a cosmetic afterthought. One of those who won a ministerial portfolio was Yuko Obuchi, 40, the daughter of former premier Keizo Obuchi. She became the first woman to assume the powerful post of economy, trade and industry minister. She has made the grade once before, at the age of 34, and holds the record for being the youngest female cabinet minister Japan has had. Among other female politicians getting the nod were Midori Matsushima, 58, as justice minister, and Haruko Arimura, 43, as minister in charge ofwomen’s activities. “Abe is trying to give an example of his commitment to the better use ofwomen by appointing five of them,” said Shinichi Nishikawa, professor of politics at Meiji University in Tokyo.

Appointing women was also expected to lead to a rise in support for him among female voters, Nishikawa said. Abe premier enjoyed sky- high public support when he came to power in December 2012 promising to kick- start Japan’s sputtering economy. But a series of bruising battles over a consumption tax rise and an unpopular move to water down the pacifist constitution have taken some of the wind out of his sails.