Number of mentions of the word "women" in Sanae Takeda's policy speech significantly decreased

"Press the switch for growth, press it, press it again..." In her policy speech delivered at the Japanese Diet on February 20, the term "women" was mentioned far fewer times compared to previous prime ministers.

Previous Japanese prime ministers often included content such as expanding employment opportunities and addressing income gaps in their speeches, with frequent mentions of "women." However, Takeda mentioned it only once. How should we interpret her policies regarding women as Japan's first female prime minister?

Only one mention of "women" in the main text, far less than previous prime ministers

Policy speeches are usually held at the beginning of the year in the Diet, used to explain the government's key policies. In addition to core projects, they generally cover various issues related to different government departments, and women's policies are often mentioned in the latter part of the speech.

Looking back at the speeches of four prime ministers after 2020 - Shinzo Abe (2020), Yoshihide Suga (2021), Fumio Kishida (2022-2024), and Shigeru Ishiba (2025) - the term "women" appeared between 2 to 8 times, covering topics such as employment opportunities, expansion of executive recruitment, and crime prevention. Kishida proposed "fully promoting the active participation of women," while Ishiba stated "building a local society that is popular among young people and women," with very prominent direct statements related to women.

Takeda's only mention of the term "women" was in the context of health issues: "Strengthen support for women throughout their entire life cycle." She did not address the gender pay gap in the national income increase policy, nor did she mention the need to improve the treatment of non-regular employees in the section about the full activation of human resources. She also emphasized reducing the number of resignations due to child-rearing and caregiving.

"It feels like there's no concern for women"

Professor Yuki Tsujii from Tokai University, who specializes in politics and gender studies, pointed out: "Although the speech covers many policies, the target groups of the policies are not clearly defined compared to previous prime ministers."

She analyzed: "Prime Minister Takeda is a politician who emphasizes the 'struggle' of citizens and companies, and tends to focus more on equal opportunity rather than equal outcomes. It is difficult to feel her concern for specific groups such as women, and the speech did not mention improving the treatment of non-regular employees."

In 2016, the "Act for the Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace" was formally implemented. The Japanese government formulated the "Basic Plan for Women's Participation and Advancement," requiring companies to address gender disparities, and set a goal of increasing the proportion of female executives in companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section to over 30% by 2030.

Professor Tsujii expressed concerns: "The overall direction may not change, but previous governments would show a firm determination and push for corporate transformation. This atmosphere may be somewhat reduced in the future."

Although this speech reveals an intention to support citizens in achieving their self-value regardless of gender or other factors, Japan's society still faces issues such as excessive burden of household chores and childcare falling on women, and significant gender pay gaps. These are also the key areas of focus for past governments in women's policies.

Professor Tsujii speculated: "Within the Liberal Democratic Party, male politicians who emphasize women's policies may gain favor, whereas female politicians who strongly advocate for women's policies often face cold glances. Takeda's restrained attitude toward women's policies, prioritizing diplomacy, defense, and economic growth, may be influenced by this internal party environment."

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859019089505291/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.