Suddenly Hugged and Touched Underarms... The Ordeal of Japanese Female Politicians

Japan Opens 'Women Legislators Harassment Counseling Center'
"I am a Voter"… Serious Sexual Harassment and Verbal Abuse

Sexual harassment and other issues targeting female politicians have been identified as serious problems in Japan.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun on the 21st, experts including university professors have established a 'Harassment Counseling Center for Female Legislators' ahead of the unified local elections scheduled for April. The counseling center plans to offer free online consultations for female legislators and candidates nationwide.

At the press conference, Tomomi Higashi (38), a member of the Machida City Assembly in Tokyo who previously exposed sexual harassment from male voters, attended. During the December 2018 election campaign, Higashi revealed a series of sexual harassment incidents she experienced, including male voters suddenly appearing during street campaigns and hugging her.

She lamented, "It was common for male voters to stroke my hand when shaking hands or to move their hands from my arm up to my armpit," adding, "There was even a time when I was forcibly hugged by someone who was drunk."

Higashi also condemned, "Some men exploit the psychology that legislators cannot ignore voters to commit physical sexual harassment and verbal abuse against female legislators," and stated, "It is unacceptable that there are men who consume women who have made a big decision to enter politics for their personal desires."

Professor Mari Miura of the Faculty of Law at Josai University, who serves as an advisor, pointed out, "There is no law in Japan that prohibits harassment," and added, "In the absence of fundamental legislation, it is very difficult for the parliament to discuss harassment prevention."

She continued, "We cannot just wait for a public system to be established," and emphasized, "Since there are people suffering from harm, establishing a counseling center is very meaningful."

Serious Sexual Harassment Issues Against Female Politicians in Japan

On the afternoon of July 10 last year, a woman is passing in front of a candidate information board installed in Sumida-gu, Tokyo.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In Japan, harassment such as sexual violence and verbal abuse against female and rookie politicians by voters and colleagues is worsening. Earlier, in 2021, the Cabinet Office conducted a survey of 5,513 male and female local assembly members, revealing that 57.6% of female legislators (1,247 respondents) reported experiencing sexual harassment. The survey found that many had heard insulting remarks from voters and fellow legislators.

Last year, Naoki Inose, former governor of Tokyo who ran in the House of Councillors election, sparked controversy about sexual misconduct approximately one month before the election by touching the shoulders, chest, and hair of female politician Yuki Ebisawa during a street speech.

Meanwhile, according to the 'Global Gender Gap Report 2022' released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) last year, Japan ranked 116th in gender equality, the lowest among the Group of Seven (G7) countries. South Korea's gender gap index was 0.689 (closer to 1 indicates greater equality), ranking 99th out of 146 countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.