A fierce debate is unfolding across Japanese society after the country's youngest female mayor announced she would step away from municipal duties for about four months to give birth.
According to Britain's BBC on Friday, Shoko Kawada, 35, mayor of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, said she plans to step back from work for about four months, including before and after childbirth, ahead of the birth of her first child in September. Elected in 2023 at the age of 33, she is Japan's youngest female mayor.
The case is a rare instance of a local government head stepping away for an extended period to give birth. Unlike ordinary workers, however, elected local government heads have no legally guaranteed maternity leave system, so this arrangement takes the form of a work adjustment rather than a formal "maternity leave" under the system.
While the mayor is away, Deputy Mayor Shigeto Nose will act on her behalf, and major policies and pending issues will be discussed with Mayor Kawada regularly through online meetings and phone calls.
"She Should Resign" vs. "Are Women Told Not to Enter Politics" ... Heated Debate on Social Media
After Kawada's announcement, a relatively calm atmosphere continued within city hall, but opinions were sharply divided on social networking services (SNS).
Those in favor responded that "childbirth is a matter that society, not the individual, should be responsible for together," that "female politicians also have the right to build a family," and that it "will be an important precedent for junior female politicians." Some assessed the case as illustrating the reality that Japan, while emphasizing solutions to its low birth rate, has failed to institutionally support pregnancy and childbirth for female leaders.
Critical opinion was also considerable. Comments continued that "the mayor is a position that must keep promises to citizens," that "if she was going to be away for several months, she should have thought about it before running," and that "if she cannot perform her duties for an extended period, resigning is the responsible attitude." Some even argued that her salary should be reduced during the leave period.
As the controversy grew, Kawada said, "If we do not recognize childbirth for politicians, it is no different from telling women who are capable of pregnancy and childbirth not to seek public office." She then emphasized the significance of the decision, saying, "It is important to create a society where women do not have to give up either work or family."
Calling for Higher Birth Rates, but Female Municipal Heads Just 4% ... An Exposed "Institutional Gap"
The debate is also once again highlighting the issue of low female representation in Japanese politics. As of last year, women accounted for only about 4% of Japan's 1,720 heads of basic local governments nationwide. Both inside and outside political circles, the burdens of pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing, as well as stereotypes about gender roles, are cited as major factors blocking women's participation in politics.
Japan operates maternity leave of six weeks before childbirth and eight weeks after, along with a child-care leave system, for ordinary workers, but no separate rules apply to elected public officials. Some say this case could serve as an occasion demonstrating the need to improve related systems.
Deputy Mayor Nose, who will carry out the duties in her place, said, "Many citizens are watching how a female mayor will balance childbirth and running the municipality." He added, "In the past, child-rearing was mostly left to the wife, but now we live in an era where my daughter and son-in-law both use child-care leave."
Kawada said, "I hope society changes so much that when my child grows up and looks back on this, they won't even understand why there was such a controversy." She added, "I hope it becomes a society where it is not special for a woman to choose both a career and a family."
Households Using One Year of Childbirth and Child-Care Leave Next Year to Receive at Least 31 Million Won
