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Japan election

Facing stubborn hurdles, fewer Japanese women win elections

Experts call for changes in voting system to improve female representation

Digital Transformation Minister Karen Makishima of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party celebrates her victory in the lower house election on Oct. 31

TOKYO -- The number of women running for seats in Japan's lower house election on Sunday failed to rise despite it being the first parliamentary election held under a 2018 law that urges political parties to even up the number of male and female candidates.

While women made up 17.7% of all candidates, the ratio of those to successful candidates of all seats came to 9.7%, down from 10.1% in the previous election. The number of female candidates failed to rise, particularly in the governing Liberal Democratic Party.

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