Japan’s parliament elected Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister yesterday (21 October).
Takaichi secured a clear majority with 237 votes in the Lower House and 125 in the Upper House, confirming her position as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
One of her first acts as prime minister was to appoint a cabinet that included Japan’s first female finance minister, Satsuki Katayama, and three of her recent leadership rivals, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Commenting on this story for HR magazine, leadership coach Emma Georgiou said: “Sanae Takaichi is the latest woman to smash through the highest glass ceiling in her land, and win the traditionally male-dominated role of prime minister.
“But getting there is just the start. Changing the culture within the Japanese government will be essential if she’s going to get the support she needs to stay there.”
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Georgiou suggested that gender equality in leadership is moving in the right direction, but that HR professionals need to “keep an eye on whether all people feel included, and track who’s getting opportunities, who’s speaking up, and who’s being listened to.
“Using feedback, engagement data and coaching conversations can all offer great insights into how the organisation’s culture is evolving, not just how the metrics look,” she added.
Georgiou explained: “One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to supporting women in leadership. Bespoke programmes are needed if women are to grow in their own way, navigate organisational challenges and step into leadership confidently.”
Sheila Gujrathi, MD and founder of Biotech CEO Sisterhood, a community of female biotech CEOs, told HR magazine: “Takaichi’s election demonstrates that representation alone doesn’t equal progress; that requires genuine cultural transformation backed by intentional systems.”
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Gujrathi suggested that organisations need to track gender representation at every leadership level, as well as assess pay equity gaps and promotion velocity.
“HR should build structured sponsorship programmes where women are paired with senior leaders who actively champion their advancement,” she added.
She advised that organisations need to have an honest conversation about bias, to protect women leaders from unfair and sexist scrutiny.
“Processes dealing with feedback and promotion need to be clearly documented so they can be applied equally and consistently,” Georgiou added.
Gujrathi said that true gender parity requires development programmes that tackle the real barriers that women face. In her view, those barriers include a lack of negotiation skills, executive presence and strategic visibility.
Georgiou suggested that HR leaders can also create safe spaces for women to reflect and support each other using coaching, peer networks or mentoring, “so that women leaders have somewhere to go when the pressure or scrutiny feels too much”.
AloJapan.com