S-3. Percentage of Diet Seats Held By Women
1.Current Values
9.9% (in 2004)
2.Current Points (out of a perfect score of 100 by 2050)
20 points
Calculation method:
(Current value - minimum value) / (2050 target
value - minimum value) x 100
3. Explanation of Indicator
The aims of sustainable society are
to build a better society through the participation
of its diverse constituents, and to create happiness
for the greatest number. Compared to the OECD
countries, however, Japan has an extremely low
number of women participating in society.
The Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) program developed
by the United Nations has produced an index using
the percentage of women parliamentarians, the
percentage of professional and technical careers
positions held by women, the percentage of management
career positions held by women, and the estimated
income for men and women. Of these, JFS has chosen
as an indicator the percentage of seats in the
Diet that are held by women, which in Japan is
strikingly low. Our thinking is that if participation
in politics rises, that will influence all kinds
of government policy and have a large ripple effect
on society as a whole.
4.Target for 2050
50%
5.Ideal for the Future
50%
6. Rationale for Ideal and Target Values
The first of the "Eleven Important
Goals" in Japan's Basic Plan for Gender Equality
is "to expand the participation of women
in the policy decision-making processes".
We have put both our ideal and target value for
2050 at 50% (the population ratio between men
and women), which more accurately reflects gender
diversity.
Because it is an indicator that is the result
of women's participation in society, it is not
necessary that it be strictly 50%. The actual
results for Sweden, whose social participation
by women is advanced, are 45.3% (for 2004), making
our target value quite realistic.
We think that this will have a large impact on
society as a whole, including the economy, and
would like to see this become a reality the sooner
the better, without waiting for 2050.
7. Source
UNDP,
"Human Development Report 2004"
8. Notes
As of 2004, the country with the highest
percentage of women (in national diet/parliament)
was Sweden with 45.3%. Japan's GEM index was 0.531,
38th place out of 177 nations.