Shoko Kawata, mayor of Yawata in Japan, made history by taking maternity leave. She’s the first sitting mayor in Japan to do so, drawing mixed reactions domestically and global media attention. Kawata became the youngest female mayor in Japan at age 33 in 2023. While Yawata offers 16 weeks of maternity leave to city employees, no protocol existed for mayors, leading Kawata to establish this precedent.
“I was very surprised myself to learn that I am the first mayor to take maternity leave,” Kawata said. Her realization highlighted the scarcity of young women, and women in general, who become mayors.
As her last public duty before maternity leave, Kawata participated in a street procession for Yawata’s Taiko festival. Rather than riding on the mikoshi, as tradition dictates, the pregnant Kawata walked behind it.
Japan faces a significant gender gap, especially in politics, despite recent strides like Sanae Takaichi becoming the first female prime minister. The country ranks 118th globally and 125th in political empowerment according to the World Economic Forum’s gender gap report.
Kawata emphasized the need for reform to address Japan’s declining birth rate. Japanese women can claim around 14 weeks of maternity leave with approximately two-thirds wage compensation. Kawata stated, “We need to build a society in which people, across all professions, including those in leadership roles, do not hesitate to have children.”
Despite some online criticism, Kawata found support from residents and colleagues. “People who had never heard of me before only learned about me through reports focusing on the maternity leave,” she said. Some criticized her, suggesting she wasn’t fulfilling her duties as mayor.
Most local residents interviewed expressed support for Kawata’s decision. However, Chie Fujita, a local homemaker, disagreed with Kawata receiving her full salary on leave. “As a woman’s right, she should be able to take time off when giving birth, but regarding her salary, I don’t really agree with her receiving 100% of it,” Fujita commented.