By YUICHI NOBIRA/ Staff Writer
February 18, 2021 at 15:20 JST
Political heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai has apparently been oblivious to the international criticism over sexism committed by powerful male figures in Japan.
Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, proposed letting female lawmakers attend some of the party’s executive meetings--as long as they keep quiet.
“It is important for them to fully understand what sort of things are being discussed there,” he said. “We will let them see.”
But he said the women, in groups of five or so, could attend the meetings only as observers.
The remarks from Nikai, 82, came at an extraordinary meeting of the Board on Feb. 16, when global outrage was still being expressed over Yoshiro Mori’s comments also about women attending high-level meetings.
Mori, 83, a former LDP prime minister, resigned as Tokyo Olympic organizing committee chief after saying that women prolong board meetings because of their competitive nature and urge to have their opinions heard.
On Feb. 15, Tomomi Inada, a former defense minister and joint representative of a group of LDP Diet members seeking higher status for female lawmakers, and others submitted a proposal to Nikai to, for example, allow women to attend important LDP meetings.
According to LDP sources, the party is considering letting female lawmakers attend General Council meetings, where the LDP’s policies are formally adopted, and the extraordinary meetings of the Board, where party executives share information.
LDP executives said the female lawmakers are not expected to be given the right to make comments at such meetings.
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Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, with Tomomi Inada, the party’s executive acting secretary-general, in January 2020 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
