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Takako Doi, who led the opposition Social Democratic Party from 1986 until 1991 and again from 1996 to 2003, has died. She was 85.
The SDP said in a statement to media that Doi died on Sept 20, NTV reported Sunday.
Doi, who was born in Hyogo Prefecture, made headlines when she became the first woman to lead a political party in Japan and the first female speaker of the lower house.
Doi served in the House of Representatives from 1969 until 2005. She came to national attention in 1980 over her fierce criticism of Japan's unequal treatment of women, and the father-dominated family registration law. She pressured the Diet to sign the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1985.
© Japan Today
11 Comments
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Chuichi Hashimura
May her soul rest in peace.
Michael Craig
Ms. Doi helped paved the way for Japanese women's rights and changed modern Japan's politics forever.
Thank you, Ms. Doi. RIP
toshiko
RIP Ms Doi.
gokai_wo_maneku
Loved Ms. Doi. She was such a maverik who spoke her mind. It was great that she was appointed speaker of the house, the first woman to be appointed, but I really wish that she had been appointed Prime Minister instead of Maruyama, when a socialist PM was appointed in a power sharing scheme between LDP and Socialists. I was only 5 when CEDAW happened, and it is too bad that women are still having to fight for an equal place in society.
nath
The only Japanese politician name anyone knew back in the 80s.
gokai_wo_maneku
Educator60, you said it better than I could. Thank you!
SenseNotSoCommon
Met her once - a great person. RIP
toshiko
I was not in Japan when she promoted for Japanese female cause but I read her activities in ShinChoi and other Japanese magazines. Did not know Japanese woman would try to change degraded Japanese women,
Willie Be
I didn't know of her but from the little I've read today she seemed pretty awesome. RIP and hopefully, more female politicians will have the gusto she seemed to have possessed.
jpntdytmrow
She was somebody. She seemed to go beyond being "a woman politician" and was seen someone who had the possibility to lead Japan. I think they could have found more to write about her than that short article. I remember enjoying her articles. She was on TV a lot as I recall. Some shows I didn't think were worthy of her participation. Wow....85. Time flies.....