Takaichi Sanae¡¯s appointment as Japan¡¯s first woman prime minister is a historic accomplishment and has been hailed by many as a step forward for women¡¯s rights. But her government inherits an immediate test of the degree to which it will provide substantive representation to women: implementing the 2023 sexual assault law reforms that changed Japan¡¯s legal framework but not yet its institutional response.
The reforms potentially marked a turning point in how the Japanese government dealt with issues related to violence against women. The country¡¯s parliament raised the age of consent from 13 to 16, expanded rape definitions to include consent-based standards, effectively criminalizing marital rape and extended the window of time a survivor can report a rape from 10 to 15 years. These changes brought Japan closer to international norms after years of pressure from activists, U.N. bodies and the Flower Demo movement.
But legal reform is only the first step to addressing these problems. What matters now is implementation, and here a substantial gap currently separates Japan from other developed nations. How Takaichi¡¯s government addresses this implementation gap will define whether her historic appointment translates into substantive progress for women¡¯s safety.
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