Women in Japanese Politics: An Assesment Through the Liberal Democratic Party

Year 2021, Volume: 22 Issue: 1, 65 - 76, 20.06.2021

Hatice Çelik , Güler Ceren Çoker

https://doi.org/10.17494/ogusbd.952752

Abstract

Japan, based on the economic indicators, has been faced as a country that managed to become one of the strongest and technology-based developed countries of the world. When this high level of development is thought, it is expected to see less social problems. The place of women at the political sphere in Japan is one of the issues that those expectations have not been meet. Although the politically free environment, when it is focused on the gender and its equal representation, it is seen that the general picture is pretty much interesting. It is remarkable that the women participation at the political arena is relatively less than expected. Election system, transparency and the condition that political parties are able to do politics in a free environment etc. leads Japan to be categorized as a democratic state. Beside this; however, when it is looked at the Liberal Democratic Party which is governing the country since the mid-1950s, it was thought to be worth studying the Japanese women’s situation in the political arena. By moving from this point, it is aimed to reach an assessment about the women in Japanese politics by analysing the LDP, the longest serving party in power in Japan. With this study, it is directed to make an examination of women’s place in Japanese politics through which a contribution is hoped to present to the Turkish literature from an Asian country that is believed to be an interesting case.

Keywords

japan, women, politics, LDP

Japonya Siyasetinde Kadın: Liberal Demokrat Parti (LDP) Üzerinden Bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

Japonya, ekonomik veriler esas alındığında dünyanın en güçlü, teknoloji odaklı kalkınmayı en fazla başarabilmiş ülkelerinden biri olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu yüksek kalkınmışlık düzeyinin yanında toplumsal sorunların daha az olması beklenmektedir. Ancak bu beklentinin karşılanamadığı en temel konulardan biri de kadınların siyasi alandaki durumudur. Seçim sistemi, şeffaflık, partilerin özgür bir ortamda siyaset yapabiliyor olması gibi pek çok gösterge Japonya’nın demokratik ülkeler kategorisinde gösterilme-sine vesile olmaktadır. Siyasi özgürlük ortamına rağmen toplumsal cinsiyet ve bunun eşit temsiliyetine bakıldığında ise ilginç bir tablo ile karşılaşılmaktadır. Beklentinin aksine kadınların siyasi hayatta çok daha az görünür oluşu dikkat çekicidir. Daha yakından bakıldığında, özellikle 1955’lerden bu yana iktidarda olan Liberal Demokrat Parti (LDP) özelinde Japon kadınlarının siyasetteki yerinin incelenmeye değer olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Bu doğrultuda, Japonya’nın en uzun süre iktidarda kalmayı başarmış siyasi partisi incelenerek, kadının yerinin nasıl bir değişim geçirdiği sorusuna yanıt aranmaya çalışılacak-tır. Bu çalışmada, özellikle parti içindeki kadınların ne gibi zorluklarla karşılaştı-ğı ve kadın siyasetçi olarak hangi noktalarda eleştiri alarak siyaset dışı kalmaya zorlandıkları sorularına da odaklanılacaktır. Çalışma, LDP’nin uzun iktidarındaki kadın siyasetçilere odaklanıp bu örnekler üzerinden bir analiz yapmaya çalışacaktır. Çalışmanın sonunda, Japon siyasetinde bilhassa LDP özelinde kadınların siyasi alana katılımının nasıl olduğuna dair bulgulara ulaşılmaya çalışılacaktır. Böylece Türkçe literatürde Asya ülkelerine dair mevcut çalışma eksikliği de dikkate alınacak olursa, ilginç bir örnek olabileceği düşünülen LDP üzerinden Japonya’ya dair bir katkı sunmak hedeflenmektedir.

Keywords

Japonya, iç politika, Liberal Demokrat Parti, kadın temsiliyeti, siyasi partiler

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