2003.1.27
In the fourth/fifth government report, there is no analysis made to explain the reason for the low political participation by women in public positions.
As it can be seen from the UNDP statistics in the Japanese government report, although the percentage of women participating in politics is on the rise both in local and central governments, overall political participation by Japanese women is still very low compared to the international level. It is easily understood that Japanese women face strong difficulties in a political setting dominated by men. However, there are no institutional measures taken by the government to change the current disparity of political participation, nor is there any action taken against repeated discriminatory remarks and sexual harassment in those settings.
Senator Shingo Nishimura, vice minister of the Japan Defense Agency at the time, made following comments in his interview with Weekly Playboy Magazine (November 2, 1999 Issue); "If act of rape was not punishable, we'll all be a rapist. But the sentence on rape works as a deterrent, preventing it from happening." Also, referring to several female congress persons belonging to a particular party, "I would never save you even if you were being raped!"
His remark shows that his decision to save a woman being raped would depend upon her belief. He blames a woman in a case of rape. This way of thinking leads to a premise which tolerates rape in some instances. This is a discriminatory remark against women. He totally ignores the fact that rape is a human rights violation.
Facing strong protest against his remarks, he resigned as Vice Minister of the Japan Defense Agency, but he remains as a Representative and once held a post of Chair of the Committee on Discipline.
During the session of the Lower House Budgetary Committee on February 9, 2001, a male member distributed slanderous leaflets to several other members of the House of Representatives. The leaflet insulted one of the female members by calling her a "manager of the disorderly house." The male member was not penalized for this remark except for a verbal warning made by the Chairperson of the Committee.