Untitled - Api-fellowships.org

226 Panel 51. Working in GovernmentSome initially worked in the government departmentclosely linked to policy making. For example,Akametsu Ryoko of LDP worked her way up to beHead of the Department of Labor before herappointment as Minister of Education.2. Personal Fame or CelebrityQuite a number were celebrities or media personalitiesor even Olympic medalists before they were recruitedby a political party.3. Participation in the Civil MovementA significant number of women politicians were activein the civil movement before they became politicians.Most notably, the housewives movement in the 1970sand 1980s provided a platform for the Japanesewomen’s political awakening.4. Political RecruitmentPolitical parties have a recruitment process. Forexample, Miho Takai, the Lower HouseRepresentative of DPJ, said she actually responded toan advertisement while exploring her options uponreturning from studies abroad.The Catalyst EffectsFactors observed to have encouraged women’sinvolvement in politics were as follows:1. Japan and the Cold War PoliticsMost of the women experienced their politicalawakening during their student days when somespecific political event or issue catalyzed theirparticipation in politics. For example, Koike Yurikoand Tsuijmoto Kiyomi mentioned the impact of theCold War on their decision to follow their politicalcalling. Tsujimoto Kiyomi founded the peaceboat 4movement as a student and it was her activism that ledher to politics during the “Madonna boom”.2. Feminist Consciousness and the “Madonna Effect”When Doi Takako became the first woman presidentof the Japan Socialist Party (JSP), 5 she started torecruit women politicians to be part of the 1989Upper House election. This sudden boom in women’sparticipation in politics was widely known as the“Madonna Effect”. Doi not only recruited andnurtured a good number of women politicians fromcommunity-based social work and the civil movement,and from among feminist academics, but also becameknown for her impressive and inspiring “nonfeminine”leadership and mannerisms. Her legacycontinues to be acknowledged by contemporarywomen politicians, including lawyer FukushimaMizuho, the current president of SDP, TsujimotoKiyomi, and feminist activist, Mitsui Mariko.Subsequently, a decline in women’s participation inpolitics was noted. Then the number picked up oncemore when male politicians recruited women to run inthe elections. For example Ozawa, a veteran politicianfrom DPJ, was known to have supported the “Ozawagirls”. Similarly, there were women recruited byKoizumi in LDP: “Koizumi’s children”.3. Local Politics and the Citizen and ConsumersMovementApart from some women being recruited bymainstream political parties, what was unique in Japanwas the existence of local political parties like theCitizen Network and the Seikatsusha Net Club(SNC).SNC was set up as a local political party in the 1980s,with Seikatsu Club as its base. Seikatsu Club is acooperative movement, which started in the 1970s. Atthe time, it campaigned for safe food to be available atreasonable prices and opposed the consumer tax. Mostimportantly, SNC provided a mechanism forrecruiting women to join the local elections. In 1985,Tokyo-based SNC won its first citizen’s seat and by2010, there were about 50 women elected in variousparts of Tokyo. These women politicians were part ofthe local cooperative network and kept very closecontact with the residents in this area. SNC has sinceimposed a term limit whereby each female candidatehas a maximum term limit of three terms, equivalent to12 years. Thereafter, the SNC would support a newcandidate. This mechanism is implemented toencourage more women to participate in local politics.On the other hand, some women politicians opt outfrom the party after their term limit has expired anddecide to join the contest on their own asindependents, instead.4. Gender Mainstreaming and Gender QuotasAt the national level, the Association of FeministRenmei (AFER) was founded in 1992 to promote theThe Work of the 2010/2011 API Fellows