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For many female youth in Japan today, the image of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm as the country's inaugural female leader is powerful and formative.

This signifies a patriarchal society and a government structure that has long been dominated by men is currently headed by a woman.

But while the optics speak of a forward-thinking era, some women do not view her as an champion of progress.

It was rather interesting to see how people outside Japan have responded to the announcement,” a 21-year-old says.

People are saying, ‘wow, she's the first female prime minister in Japanese history and that would be a significant chance for women empowerment and equal rights in Japan’.

“I think that's a very naive interpretation.”

Instead, the young woman highlights her “ideological stance and what she stands for,” noting: “She reinforces the male-dominated structure.”

A strong admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has always wanted to be the “Iron Lady” of her nation.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a staunch right-wing politician.

Observers say her ascension is a strategic decision from the governing Liberal Democratic Party to attract the more conservative base which had lately shifted towards Japan's more extreme conservative groups.

Takaichi opposes marriage equality and has long stood against laws that would allow spouses to have separate surnames, blocking many females from retaining their birth surnames.

Additionally, she is opposed to women being in eligible for the throne in the royal household.

However, she did soften certain her messaging during her election bid – stating she supports giving tax incentives to companies that provide daycare services to their employees and spoke of possible deductions for households investing in child-rearing.

But she has over the years backed the notion of a conventional role for females in the community and in the home.

Regarding women's issues, Takaichi is aligned with her country's less than impressive performance on equality concerns.

The Country's Inequality in Context

Japanese women are some of the most highly educated and highest qualified in the globe and yet they struggle with the expectations of a conservative society that still pushes them into conventional positions.

According to the latest equality ranking by the global organization, Japan ranked 118th out of among nearly 150 nations, with female representation in the political arena particularly minimal.

Leadership positions have historically been held by males and Japan has struggled to boost the quantity of women legislators and business leaders.

The world's fourth largest economic power places last among the G7 countries when it comes to the percentage of women in its legislative body. In detail, females constitute about 15.7% of legislators in Japan, the smallest proportion among the G7.

It is even slow when it comes to female healthcare: recently was it revealed that the “morning after” pill – a form of post-coital birth control sold over the counter in more than 90 nations – had at last been authorized for over the counter use in Japan.

Mixed Responses to the Historic Leadership

Nonetheless, certain individuals view Takaichi's rise to power as a pivotal moment that could alter how women view their prospects.

“There is great significance in the new prime minister becoming prime minister, with a broader impact on the public,” Naomi Koshi – who became the nation's youngest female mayor in 2012 – told local media.

Koshi argued Japan having a woman prime minister will “reduce mental obstacles” for females of all ages, helping them feel it is normal to “stand out” as authorities in businesses and society, even as gender-based stereotypes and expectations still persist.

But Audrey Hill-Uekawa notes that, while it is remarkable Japan has its first female prime minister, it is important to recall it took her more than 30 years to get to that position.

“She's also not really challenging the norm. She's saying the identical views as the male politicians.”

The young woman adds that she shouldn't be put on a platform simply because she is a female.

“We need to make sure we're discussing her agenda. We need to be able to criticise her equally as everyone else.”

Ideological Background and Influences

It is not just what Takaichi has stated which has led people to label her as a defender of the patriarchy.

Additionally, it is evident by which individuals her champions inside the party have been.

She's the protégé of the late ex- hawkish prime minister Shinzo Abe, and was backed in the leadership election by Taro Aso – a senior figure in the LDP at the head of one of the ruling party's most influential right-wing factions.

Their group's backing for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in consolidating the conservative wing behind her.

“I believe that it is challenging for females to sort of relate to her achievement because it promotes this idea that we must be compliant with the existing system,” 21-year-old a citizen says.

Ms Ogura agrees, saying that with her as a symbol for women in politics, “people are likely to anticipate the same from us as too”.

“They will demand women to be compliant, not go against the beliefs that they have, and it might make our job more difficult.”

Upcoming Challenges and Anticipations

Achieving this milestone, though, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will face – including tackling a sluggish economy and rising prices and regaining the confidence of a discontented and angry voting public, as in addition to hosting the US leader within days of assuming office.

One can reasonably assume that few anticipate gender equality issues to be high on her priority list.