Shattering the glass ceiling

Coaching future leaders: Noda speaking during a lecture for a future female politician training programme in Tokyo. Once elected, female leaders in Japan face a tough environment, describing sexual harassment, chauvinistic habits and ingrained views of government as a man’s world. — AFP

Tokyo: Women are a rare sight in Japanese politics, but 20-year-old Rinka Saito is determined to run for office one day because “you can’t have true democracy without diversity”.

She is one of a small group of young women being offered mentoring and money to help them break into a political scene that remains utterly dominated by men.