Japan will have a ‘bright future’ if women can lead, says lawmaker Seiko Noda

The LDP veteran aims to challenge Yoshihide Suga for party leadership, but admits many don’t believe women are qualified to become prime minister

She said women are best placed to put together policies that can help offset Japan’s ageing and shrinking population

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Seiko Noda, executive acting secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, is one of only three women in top positions under Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 7:00am, 25 Sep 2020Updated: 7:00am, 25 Sep 2020

One of the three women to snag a senior position under Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is already planning to challenge him for the ruling party leadership next year.

Veteran Seiko Noda, who last week was appointed executive acting secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, said that while it was time for a woman to lead Japan, that would require changing a lot of minds in the male-dominated society.

“Unfortunately, the people of this country still don’t believe women are qualified to be prime minister,” Noda said in an interview at party headquarters in Tokyo. “I want to convey to them that if women don’t do it, we won’t be able to stop the population falling,” she added, referring to the demographic crisis that’s threatening the economy.

Noda, one of the most prominent women in the ruling party, was named to a post where she will act as a conduit between the premier and the political group that’s been in power almost continuously for the past 65 years. Due to the LDP’s dominant position in parliament, its leader is almost assured of becoming prime minister.

Only two women were included in Suga’s 20-strong cabinet line-up, well short of the government’s own target of having women in 30 per cent of management positions in all fields by 2020.