Tokyo , Japan ( CNN ) -- A male member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly apologized Monday for shouting sexist remarks at a female colleague as she was giving a speech last week . Akihiro Suzuki , an assemblyman from the ruling LDP party , admitted to heckling fellow assembly member Ayaka Shiomura , who is from the minority Your Party , during her speech urging increased public support for pregnant Japanese women . Suzuki , who initially denied any involvement and condemned the harassment in an interview , publicly apologized to Shiomura . While admitting to making the first comment `` You should get married , '' Suzuki has denied making a second comment , `` Ca n't you even bear a child ? '' Shiomura accepted his apology but stated , `` I 'm positive that there were others besides Mr. Suzuki who made comments . '' She said she hopes that others involved in the heckling will come forward as well . When asked whether he would continue his position as an assembly member , Suzuki stated he has no plans to resign . `` I will stay on if I 'm allowed to , '' he replied . The incident last week reignited the debate over sexism in the Japanese workplace . Women are paid , on average , 30 % less than their male counterparts , according to statistics cited by Japan 's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an editorial last year announcing the launch of `` Womenomics . '' Women also hold just 3 % of management positions in Japan 's central government , according to the National Personnel Authority . Abe wants to increase that to 30 % by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics .
Tokyo assembly member apologizes to female colleague . The incident occurred in the lower house of Japan's parliament on Wednesday when a male lawmaker from Osaka apologized for touching his female colleague, according to Kyodo News.