First woman enters Japan's submarine academy

AFP|23 Jan 2020, 01:52 PM IST

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​Japan submarine academy gets first female student

The first female student was admitted to Japan's national naval submarine academy after the end of a ban on women on the country's submarines.

In pic: In this handout picture by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Saki Takenouchi (front row, 2nd R) and other students attend a ceremony to begin their national naval submarine academy classes in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture.

AFP

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​Who is Risa Takenouchi?

Risa Takenouchi, 26, entered the academy in the western region of Hiroshima along with about 20 men, after the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force overturned previous restrictions.

"I hope not to put too much pressure on myself as the first woman," she told. "Instead I hope to work with my classmates and train to become a submarine crew member."

In pic: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Saki Takenouchi (front row, 2nd R) and other students attend a ceremony to begin their national naval submarine academy classes in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture.

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​Gender privacy

The navy has long only allowed men to serve on submarines, citing the difficulty of accommodating gender privacy concerns.Representative Image

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​Rules modified

But it changed the rules in late 2018, after assessing that gender-specific privacy needs can be met without major submarine remodelling, a navy spokesman told.

"This is a part of our efforts for efficient use of human resources," he added.

Getty Images

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​Role of women

Japan's military as a whole is attempting to expand the role of women in its ranks as the Self Defense Forces struggle to attract young talent, with local media saying the navy has had particular difficulty attracting candidates to serve on submarines.

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​What Japanese PM has to say

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has long advocated for expanding the role of women in the workplace, but the country remains stubbornly low in international gender rankings.

AP