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For many female youth in Japan today, the image of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm as the nation's inaugural female leader is impactful and influential.

It means a male-oriented culture and a government structure that has long been dominated by men is currently headed by a female.

However, although the optics suggest a progressive moment, some women don't see her as an advocate for change.

“It was quite fascinating to see how people beyond Japan's borders have reacted to the news,” Ayda Ogura states.

People are saying, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in the nation's past and that would be a significant chance for female advancement and equal rights in Japan’.

“I think that's a very naive view.”

Instead, the young woman highlights her “ideological stance and what she represents,” adding: “She reinforces the male-dominated structure.”

A big fan of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has always wanted to be the “Steel Magnolia” of her country.

Similar to Thatcher, Takaichi is a firm right-wing politician.

Analysts note her leadership is a tactical move from the governing LDP to attract the increasingly right-leaning supporters which had recently gravitated towards Japan's parties further to the right.

The leader is against marriage equality and has consistently voted against laws that would permit married couples to have separate surnames, preventing many women from retaining their maiden names.

She's also opposed to women being in line for succession in the imperial family.

However, she moderated certain her messaging during her campaign – stating she supports giving tax incentives to companies that offer childcare facilities to their employees and mentioned potential deductions for families investing in child-rearing.

Yet she has over the years supported the notion of a conventional position for women in the community and in the family.

When it comes to gender matters, Takaichi is aligned with her nation's subpar record on gender issues.

Japan's Inequality in Perspective

Japanese women are among the best educated and most skilled in the globe and yet they face challenges with the expectations of a traditional culture that still pushes them into conventional positions.

According to the latest equality ranking by the global organization, Japan ranked 118th out of among 148 countries, with women's presence in the field of politics particularly minimal.

Top roles have historically been held by males and Japan has struggled to boost the number of female lawmakers and business leaders.

The globally fourth biggest economic power places at the bottom among the Group of Seven nations when it comes to the percentage of women in its national parliament. Specifically, women make up about 15.7% of lawmakers in Japan, the smallest proportion among the seven major economies.

It is even slow when it comes to women's reproductive health: only this week was it revealed that the “emergency” pill – a form of emergency contraception sold over the counter in more than 90 nations – had finally been approved for non-prescription sales in Japan.

Mixed Responses to the Historic Appointment

Nonetheless, certain individuals view Takaichi's ascent as a pivotal moment that could alter how females perceive their opportunities.

“There is great significance in the new prime minister becoming prime minister, with a wider influence on society,” Naomi Koshi – who was elected as the country's youngest female mayor in 2012 – told Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Koshi argued Japan having a woman prime minister will “reduce mental obstacles” for females of all ages, helping them feel it is normal to “stand out” as authorities in businesses and society, even as gender-based stereotypes and norms still persist.

However Audrey Hill-Uekawa notes that, while it is notable Japan has its first female prime minister, one must remember it took her more than 30 years to get to that office.

“She's also not truly going against the grain. She expresses the identical views as the male politicians.”

Ms Hill-Uekawa further states that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal simply because she is a woman.

“It is essential to ensure we're discussing her agenda. We must be able to criticise her equally as all other leaders.”

Political Context and Associations

It is not just what Takaichi has stated which has led people to label her as a supporter of the male-dominated system.

It's also evident by who her champions inside the party have been.

She was mentored of the deceased former conservative prime minister Shinzo Abe, and was endorsed in the leadership election by a senior politician – a prominent member in the LDP at the head of one of the government's most influential right-wing factions.

His faction's support for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in uniting the party's right wing behind her.

“I do feel that it is challenging for females to somewhat relate to her achievement because it promotes this notion that we have to be compliant with the existing system,” 21-year-old Minori Konishi says.

Ms Ogura agrees, stating that with her as a symbol for females in politics, “people are likely to anticipate the identical from us as well”.

“They're going to expect women to be compliant, not go against the ideals that they hold, and it might make our role more difficult.”

Future Obstacles and Anticipations

Achieving this milestone, however, was only the initial of the challenges Takaichi will face – including addressing a sluggish economy and inflation and winning back the trust of a frustrated and irate voting public, as in addition to welcoming the US leader within days of assuming office.

It's safe to say that few anticipate women's rights matters to be a top priority on her agenda.