The FY1999 Annual Report on the State of the Formation of a Gender Equal Society

Part 1 The State of the Formation of a Gender Equal Society

Chapter 1 Women's Participation in Policy Decision-Making Processes

1. Women's participation in politics

   Increase in the proportion of female Diet members
   An analysis of changes in the proportion of female Diet members shows that the proportion of female members of the House of Representatives varied between 1-2% until 1986 (the 38th election), except a short period after the Second World War. After that, it began to rise and was 5.0% (25 representatives) as of April 7, 2000 (Figure 1).

   

   Notes:

   1. Figures represent numbers of House of Representatives members immediately after each election and as of 7 April 2000.
   2. Percentages represent proportion of women members among all House of Representatives members.

   Source:

   Ministry of Home Affairs survey. House of Representatives survey.

   In addition, there has been a tendency of increase in the proportion of women in the House of Councillors from 4.0% in 1947 (the 1st election) with a significant rise from 8.7% to 13.1% after the 15th election in 1989, and this trend has continued. As of April 5, 2000, women made up 17.1% (43 representatives) of the House of Councillors (Figure 2).

   

   Notes:

   1. Figures represent numbers of House of Councillors members immediately after each election and as of 5 April 2000.
   2. Percentages represent proportion of women members among all House of Councillors members.

   Source:

   Ministry of Home Affairs survey. House of Councillors survey.

   Wide variation in female participation in regional assemblies
   The proportion of female members of prefectural, municipal, town and village assemblies and the assemblies of the 23 special wards of Tokyo varies widely. This is shown by the contrast between the assemblies of the 23 special wards of Tokyo where the proportion of female members was highest at 19.7% and town and village assemblies where it was 4.2% as of the end of 1999. The figure for municipal assemblies was 9.8%, but the figure in major cities designated by government ordinance was 14.1% giving them a higher proportion of female members than municipal assemblies overall. Looking at changes since 1976, there has been a tendency of increase in female members in all regional assemblies, and this increase has been significant since the beginning of the 1990s. In particular, the increase in the proportion of female local assembly members as of the end of 1999 was marked and reflects women's rapid progress in the April 1999 combined local elections (Figure 3).

   

   Notes:

   1. As of December of each year.
   2. "Major cities designated by government ordinance" are Sapporo, Sendai, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima, Kitakyushu, and Fukuoka cities.

   Source:

   Figures for prefectural assemblies, municipal assemblies, town and village assemblies, assemblies of the 23 special wards of Tokyo: Ministry of Home Affairs survey. Figures for major cities designated by government ordinance: Japan Association of Municipal Assembly Chairpersons survey.

2. Women's participation in administration

   Increase in the proportion of women employed in national public service
   The proportion of women recruited on the basis of the National Public Service Level I Recruitment Examination, Level II Recruitment Examination and Level III Recruitment Examination shows a tendency towards long-term increase. Comparing FY1976 to the latest figures, the proportion of those employed from Level I increased from 2.2% to 16.1% (those to be employed in FY2000), Level II increased from 10.7% to 24.6% (those employed in FY1999) and Level III increased from 25.8% to 40.3% (those employed in FY1999) showing an increase in each category (Figure 4).

   

   Notes:

   1. Levels II and III: Proportion of women recruited based on examinations given in previous fiscal year.
   2. Level I: Proportion of women recruited in same fiscal year (includes those who passed previous year's examination.
   3. Until FY1981, figures for Level I are Senior (A), Level II Level of Junior College Graduates and Level III Level of Senior High School Graduates Examinations.
   4. Figures for FY2000 = Proportion of women to be recruited as of 29 October 1999.

   Source:

   National Personnel Authority survey.

   Long term increase in proportion of female national civil servants
   The proportion of women among those covered by the administrative salary table I has tended to increase since FY1985. Looking at the proportion of women by job classification for those employed in FY1998, although women made up 33.6% or over one third of those on Grade 1, which is routine administrative work, the proportion of women decreases as the job classification increases. Between Grades 4-6, which are ministry chief clerk grades, the proportion of women is in the teens, and this proportion falls to about 1% between Grades 9 to 11, which are ministry assistant administrator and administrator grades. This shows that there is significant variation in the proportion of women according to job classification.

   Proportion of women sitting the Recruitment Examination for Local Government Employees
   The proportion of female candidates and successful female candidates in Recruitment Examination for Local Government Employees in prefectures and municipal districts has increased. The proportion of women in municipal districts is higher than that in prefectures. In FY1998, women accounted for 30.6% of the candidates for prefectural employment examinations and 28.4% of those who passed while they accounted for 43.5% of candidates for municipal district employment examinations and 52.9% of those who passed.

   Proportion of women in local public service managerial positions
   The proportion of women in managerial positions (positions equivalent to or above section chief in head offices) in prefectures and major cities designated by government ordinance is higher for branch offices, local offices and agencies than for head offices in prefectures. In FY1999, the proportion of women in managerial positions was 3.4% for prefectural head offices and 4.5% for branch offices and 2.9% for head offices in designated cities and 5.9% for branch offices.

3. Women's participation in the judicature

   Increasing proportion of women in the judicature
   The proportion of female judges, assistant judges, public prosecutors and lawyers is increasing as shown in Figure 5. In particular, although there was a slight decrease in FY1999, the proportion of female assistant judges has risen significantly from 4.9% in 1975 to 21.9% in 1999, and the proportion of female judges is expected to increase in the future (Figure 5).

   

   Notes:

   The number of registered members of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations was used for the number of lawyers.

   Source:

   For judges and assistance judges: Supreme Court survey.
   For prosecutors: Ministry of Justice survey.
   For lawyers: Japan Federation of Bar Associations Secretariat survey.

4. International comparison of women's participation in policy decision-making processes

   International comparison of proportion of female Diet members
   Comparing Japan and various foreign countries in terms of the proportion of female members of national parliaments (lower house or unicameral system) about 25 years ago and today, Sweden and Norway had a high proportion in 1975, which has increased even further today. In Japan, the proportion is low, but it has increased compared to 1.4% in 1975 (Figure 6).

   

   Notes:

   1. Figures for 2000 are as of 20 March 2000.
   2. Figures for 1975 are those after the last election preceding 1975.
   3. For Germany, only post-reunification figures are listed.

   Source:

   Figures for 1975: Women in Parliaments 1945-1995, Inter-Parliamentary Union
   Figures for 2000: World Classification Women in Parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union (as of 20 March 2000).