New Gender Equality Minister

More schools please, there are about 5 to 1 hospitals to actual schools in Tokyo.

Gender equality??? yeah right.....

Gender equality minister is also minister for promoting woman, where is the minister for promoting men then?

Something not right here and very ironic.

If it is truly gender equality why is there a person to promote woman only?

Until sha actually suggests something that affects the chauvinist cabinet when she will be asked to quiet down and not make a fuss....

@StormR

Presumably because the current staus quo is so heavily weighed in men's favor they don't need one. Men don't need promoting in a system where they compromsie 89 percent of managerial positions and above.

... where is the minister for promoting men then?

That's like asking for a charity to raise money for the young, rich and healthy.

Some people apparently don't understand that women, even if have the same merits of men, are discriminated. This is a huge social problem (not only in Japan) and trying to fix it it's only a sign of progress. Women discrimination in job and politics is huge.

funny picture, tons of paparazzi harassing her, but they do it with respect, all bowing

Yeah, I too think it's quite paradoxical to have a woman in charge of gender equality. Shouldn't it be a team of both genders? Japan has a really long way to go to achieve any sort of gender equality in its society. Appointing a woman to do it is only a token gesture. Any bill she proposes will have to go through a male majority vote. Fail!

LOL, being the LDP I half expected them to choose a man.

Didn't they once appoint a man to the new women's affairs post in the 1990's?

That's like asking for a charity to raise money for the young, rich and healthy.

Luca, very few people in Japan are all three of those things. If you're the first and third, you're not the second, and if you're the second, you're certainly no longer the first.

What are they doing in the photo - the "Hokey Kokey?"

Well, at least I see one or two female reporters in the crowd. But I think Japan has a long way to go, culturally, before women are considered equal. Most of the world is further ahead, but women still aren't treated as equals anywhere I've been.

@StormRSEP. 03, 2014 - 04:38PM JST Gender equality minister is also minister for promoting woman, where is the minister for promoting men then? Something not right here and very ironic. If it is truly gender equality why is there a person to promote woman only?

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I don't think men want a man to be a Minister of Gender equality. To make men serve women tea at work? Equal number of Diet members? Men ordered to wear dresses at work? high heel for equal shoes? Long hair going to hair saloon> No more men;s hair cut? Have to makeup with lipsticks? To promote equality for men. I don't think mysogyny country';s men want to be equal with women,

yes Toshiko, apparently women are only about hair salons and dresses... (sarcasm) but if that in your opinion has anything to do with gender equality - you got long way to go.

@Alex: Men don't need equality Minister in Japan. They have more than equality, If Japanese men need to be equal with women, what they can change for themselves? Work habit, already equal Only unequal left are clothings and make-up. etc. Can you name something else Japanese men are inferior to Japanese women? Compare.

The idea of a gender equality minister is just as detrimental as it is helpful. It symbolizes an effort to help women and at the same time it will be seen as working against men. Especially by younger men. There will naturally be a backlash to the whole idea - that's just reality. It would be better to encourage a private sector effort to work this issue from within corporations and small business groups using objective employment and promotion criteria. Get rid of sex qualifications for the vast majority of positions where it is irrelevant to the job itself.

If a minister is needed for equality of the sexes than it will also be needed for race/ ethnicity (Ainu, ethnic Koreans, etc), and every other manner in which people can be differentiated in a society.