Gender Inequality in Politics in Japan

Recent studies find that Japanese voters do not hold outright bias towards female politicians. The talk will discuss the potential existence of gender bias that previous studies might fail to capture. Drawing on interdisciplinary work, I will zero in on two mechanisms of gender bias: 1) implicit gender stereotype with a focus on politicians’ voices, and 2) weak prior about female politicians. More concretely, the first part asks whether Japanese voters are affected by female politicians’ physical traits. The second part examines how a dearth of female politicians in Japan leads to voters’ gendered evaluation.

Seiki Tanaka is Assistant Professor of International Relations in the Department of International Relations and International Organization at the University of Groningen. He studies the microfoundations of social diversity and conflicts and how different groups of people can co-exist within a society in an era of globalization and technological advancement. His recent book, Yasashikunai Kuni Nippon No Seiji Keizai Gaku, analyzes the causes and consequences of the individualist Japanese society.

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