After Push to Empower Women, Japan Can’t Find One to Be Premier
- No female contenders among candidates to replace Shinzo Abe
- Premier’s push to empower women fell short in political arena
This article is for subscribers only.
Almost eight years after Shinzo Abe pledged to use the powers of the prime minister’s office to help Japanese women “shine,” he’s leaving without a single female candidate to replace him.
The three contenders who officially registered Tuesday to replace Abe at the helm of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are all men, and none are known as strong proponents of gender equality. The two women interested in running in the Sept. 14 election -- former Defense Minister Tomomi Inada and ex-Internal Affairs Minister Seiko Noda -- abandoned efforts after failing to gather the necessary 20 signatures to get on the ballot.