Japan PM contender sees "iron" barrier for women

Tag : iron

Koike, a former TV anchor who has also held the environmentportfolio, is one of six contenders aiming to challenge thefrontrunner, former foreign minister Taro Aso, in a race to becomepremier after Yasuo Fukuda abruptly quit last Monday.
"Hillary used the word 'glass ceiling' ... but in Japan, it isn'tglass, it's an iron plate," Koike, 56, told private broadcasterAsahi TV.
"I'm not Mrs Thatcher, but what is needed is a strategy thatadvances a cause with conviction, clear policies and sympathy withthe people," she said, referring to Britain's only woman primeminister, known as the "Iron Lady".
Asked by a male TV anchor if she would fight with strength ratherthan beauty, Koike replied: "Naturally. In the first place, I'm notbeautiful."
Koike, who said she would shift policy gears and carry out "realreforms", later told reporters she had lined up the 20 rulingLiberal Democratic Party lawmakers needed to sponsor her candidacyin a Sept. 22 party leadership race.
The winner of the party poll is expected to become prime ministerbecause of the LDP's lower house majority, and will likely lead theruling bloc into a snap election which must be held by September2009 but will likely come sooner.
Hillary Clinton, the early favourite for the U.S. Democraticnomination before losing a bitter race to Barack Obama, ran themost successful national campaign of any woman in U.S. politics,saying her primary contest vote put "18 million cracks" in a "glassceiling" that has kept women out of the White House.
Republican candidate John McCain surprised the country with hischoice of relatively obscure Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, as hisvice presidential running mate. Palin would become the first femaleU.S. vice president if McCain wins.
Japanese women lag women in many other advanced countries in thecorridors of power, but Koike faces other obstacles as well,including a history of switching parties.
Her career began in the opposition and she was once a protege ofopposition Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa.
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