An international survey has ranked Japan among the lowest of industrialized countries in terms of female representation in parliament.
The Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union surveyed the number of women in parliament in 193 countries as of January 1st this year. Japan's ranking stands at 158th with female lawmakers only accounting for about 10 percent of Lower House seats.
The IPU says in the report that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared in 2012 to make Japan a place where "all women can shine," but his targets for women's leadership have not been met. It adds that in Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, women made up only eight percent of the candidates running in last year's Lower House election.
Female representation is highest in the African country of Rwanda at about 60 percent, followed by Bolivia with about 53 percent. Cuba comes in third at almost 50 percent.
◆in terms of～の点で、～に関して
◆as of～現在、～の時点で
