Since taking office as Japan¡¯s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi has been open about her rheumatoid arthritis and is often seen wearing a black glove on her right hand to help ease the pain.
The background of the nation¡¯s 65-year-old leader is reflected in this year¡¯s government blueprint of measures to support women, her administration¡¯s first.
Support for women¡¯s health through different life stages forms one of the main pillars of the joseiban honebuto no h¨shin (literally meaning the women¡¯s version of the big-boned policy). The policy includes a pledge for greater support for people with rheumatoid arthritis, which disproportionately affects women during menopause.
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