As I mentioned yesterday, Tokyo just elected its first female governor: Yuriko Koike. Her win is a really big deal. As Bloomberg notes, Koike is known for “breaking the glass ceiling several times over,” having served as Japan’s first female defense minister. She also served as environment minister, national security adviser, and once worked as a TV Tokyo news anchor.
But what really caught my attention is the fact that Koike has promised to improve conditions for working women in Japan. “I received so much support from women this election,” Koike said, according to the Japan Times. “The support made me think deeply that I have a responsibility to work on the issues of waiting lines for day care centers, elderly care and work-life balance.”
The irony is, Koike did not have the support of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. As Barron’s has pointed out, Abe is fond of saying he favors “a society in which all women shine,” yet he’s decreased his goal of having 30% of leadership positions held by women to a mere 7%. Looking at gender equality around the world, the World Economic Forum puts Japan in 101st place out of 145 countries. Here’s to hoping Koike can change that. It certainly won’t be easy.