75 years from the day women voted for the first time How to eliminate the gender gap in politics

It's been 75 years, 10 days since the day when women first voted in elections in Japan.

An event was held to think about how to eliminate the gender gap in the political field.

Women's suffrage was realized after the war, and on the 10th, 75 years ago, in the House of Representatives election held on April 10, 1946, women voted for the first time, and 39 women's first parliamentarians were born.

NPOs and others appealing for the realization of gender equality held an event online, and female members and experts from each party participated.

Japan's gender gap in the political field is still large, and according to the IPU = Inter-Parliamentary Union formed by members from all over the world, the ratio of female members in each country's parliament exceeds 25%, which is a record high. The percentage of women in the House of Representatives is 9.9%, ranking 166th out of 193 countries.

At the event, sociologist Chizuko Ueno said, "The reason why the number of female politicians does not increase is that even if we exercise the right to vote, we do not exercise the right to vote and the number of candidates does not increase. I want to take a step toward changing politics with the power of. "

In addition, some active members of the Diet pointed out that there are various barriers to becoming a candidate, and that it is difficult to get pregnant, give birth, and raise children while continuing to be a member of the Diet.

When asked how to increase the number of female members, "We should create a system aimed at raising women rather than focusing on increasing women." Or "Education should be provided so that women can draw out their strength." That's the opinion.

Finally, "Japanese society is forming new norms that do not allow sexist remarks, but Nagatacho and parliamentary politics are left behind from that change. Participants applauded when the declaration was read, "We will move forward step by step to build a fair society in which perfect equality between men and women is achieved."

The woman who voted 75 years ago

This is Yoko Morosawa (96), one of the first women to vote 75 years ago.

Originally from Nagano prefecture, I now live in Okinawa prefecture.

At that time, he was 21 years old.

Election day is the day when he goes to Tokyo to get a job, and he said he went to the polling place with a lot of rice packed in a rucksack, which was more valuable than cash.

Mr. Morosawa said, "When I went to elementary school, there was a Manchurian Incident, and I grew up without knowing anything other than the war. I couldn't keep up with democracy right away, but I had the opportunity to participate in the government. I was thinking of using it as it was. "

There was also a female candidate, but "I didn't vote for a woman just because she was a woman, but I wanted to see for myself what kind of life she lived during the war." For oriental peace. " When I was deceived by words and lived after the war, I wanted to verify what the contents of the words were at my own risk, so I listened directly to the speeches of the candidates who came to the village and got the first vote. I used it. "

After that, Mr. Morosawa met Fusae Ichikawa, who worked on the women's suffrage movement and the advancement of women, and became a women's history researcher, writing books.

It means that I have never abstained from voting.

Mr. Morosawa said, "Seniors struggled to demand, and after the war, I finally got the right to participate in women. It is not a politics that can beat men, but the happiness of tomorrow the wealth of the common people, the common people. I hope we can connect it to the politics we use for our happiness. There is still discrimination in the world, but only this one vote is equal. We have valuable things that determine our daily lives and future. But I think it's self-denial to abandon. "

History of women's suffrage

Regarding the suffrage, only men who paid a certain amount of tax or more were allowed in 1887, and then the restriction on the amount of tax payment was abolished in 1914, and universal suffrage was realized for men.

On the other hand, for women, the New Women's Association was established in the Taisho era, centered on Fusae Ichikawa and Raicho Hiratsuka.

A movement for women's suffrage is underway, but it was actually approved in December 1945 after the war.

Then, 75 years ago, in the general election held on April 10, 1946, women voted for the first time, and 39 women were born for the first time in the Diet.

Looking at the turnout at that time, men were 78.52%, while women were 66.97%, which is more than 10 points lower, but after that, the turnout of women gradually increased and became the first woman to chair the House of Representatives. In the general election in 1969, when Takako Doi was elected for the first time, the turnout of women exceeded that of men for the first time.

On the other hand, 75 years ago, there were 39 female members of the House of Representatives, accounting for 8.4% of the total, but now there are 46, 9.9%, which is not much different.

According to the IPU = Inter-Parliamentary Union, which is made up of members from all over the world, the proportion of women in each country's parliament exceeds 25% overall, the highest ever, and the proportion of women in the Japanese House of Representatives is 193 countries. Of these, it is ranked 166th.

The voices of young people

It has been 75 years since the election, when women voted for the first time after gaining suffrage, and we asked women living in the future about their opinions on elections and politics in Shibuya, Tokyo.

A 20-year-old office worker said, "Men and women are becoming more equal than before, but it's sad that there were times when it wasn't. I think it's something that will end up. "

A 21-year-old college student who visited Tokyo from Osaka for job hunting said, "I think it's cool. The gender equality is progressing, but the wage gap between men and women is I think there is still a lot of women doing housework and childcare. I want to think about what I can do to change those strange things. "

A college woman who turned 18 in February and just got the right to vote said, "I learned in high school that women may not be able to vote depending on the country and the times. We get the right to vote when we get older. However, considering the feelings of those who have struggled to win the right, I think that I have to go to vote, "he said." Now I can give my opinion directly to politicians on SNS, and that They may answer. I can touch and send various opinions on the Internet, so I want to work on what I can do. "