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2026 September 9 - 15 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Creating maternity leave rules for municipal heads needed to further promote women’s participation in politics

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

As the reasons for women’s difficulty in participating in politics, a survey by the Cabinet Office cited male-dominated political culture, women’s unique health issues, such as the physical and mental impacts of menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth, and worries about balancing family duties and a political career.

Under such circumstances, the mayor of Kyoto’s Yawata City announced her decision to take maternity leave before and after childbirth, and went on a four-month maternity leave in July. She became the first sitting municipal head to take leave for childbirth. This was widely covered by the media and aroused controversy on the internet.

For her, taking maternity leave was a logical choice to balance the mandate from the citizens as mayor with her personal life choices as an individual and a woman. It is significant that the Yawata City mayor set the precedent and raised the issue regarding maternity leave for discussion by local government heads.

Female lawmakers from the national to local level are already allowed to take childbearing leave through amendments to their respective assembly rules. Nevertheless, female local assemblymembers are voicing complaints that they come under fire for missing the assembly meetings due to childbirth.

As for local government heads, no protocol for maternity leave exists. The need is to use the Yawata City mayor’s case as a catalyst for establishing a legal framework regarding maternity leave for female municipal heads.