Chapter 40: Women's Leadership in Japan and Taiwan

Joyce Gelb

Women's leadership in Japan and Taiwan This chapter compares and contrasts the role of women in politics in Japan and Taiwan, two East Asian nations. What explains the relatively high representation of women in the Taiwanese political system, whereas in Japan the numbers are so much lower? What is the evidence for change and progress in each nation, and what are the obstacles to further improvement in women's representation? Do women act collectively once they gain seats in the political system? Interviews on women and political representation in Taiwan were conducted December 14–31, 2007, in Taipei; for the Japanese case, the research is based on interviews conducted over the past 5 years as well as drawing on material from my previously published Gender Policies in Japan and the United States (Gelb, 2003). Research on women in Taiwanese politics focuses on answering several questions. Among them are the following: What is ...

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