Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center

Last updated
Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center
FoundedDecember 1994 by Yayori Matsui in Japan
TypeNon-profit
NGO
Location
ServicesEducation and Advocacy
FieldsWomen's rights, environment, social justice
Website www.ajwrc.org/eng

Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center (AJWRC) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1994 that advocates gender equality, the end of violence against women, a more just society, and environmentally sustainable development.

Contents

AJWRC holds events like empowerment seminars and study groups for women, training and workshops, and they also publish research and conduct outreach campaigns in furtherance of their mission. [1] The activities serve to raise awareness among Japanese women of global as well as domestic issues. Because Japan is a leading nation in the Asian economy and international politics, the organisation feels an obligation to encourage Japanese women to take a leading role in advocacy for improved human rights. Additionally, Japan is the destination for the largest number of cross-border human trafficking victims in Asia, which AJWRC takes as further impetus for their mission. [2]

Disparity between genders has been shrinking in most developed countries over the last century, but AJWRC holds that Japan has lagged behind the trend. As examples, women represent a mere 10% of the National Diet, Japan's legislative body, and women earn just 60% of the salary of their male counterparts in the workforce.

AJWRC grew out of the Asian Women's Association, which was founded in 1977, when gender inequality was even more severe. It wasn't until 1985 that the Japanese government ratified a Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, [3] and the country received failing marks as late as 1986 in Humana's World Human Rights Guide [4] regarding the status of women, and is one of the industrialized world's least equal countries in terms of gender gap. [5]

The AWA initially focused on protesting the sex trade, but as their influence grew, they expanded their mandate to tackle women's issues more broadly in the country, eventually forming AJWRC as it is today. According to the group's website, they work "to end all forms of violence and discrimination against women, toward democratic Japanese society based on respect for human rights and gender equality, and toward a fair and sustainable global society." [6] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexism</span> Prejudice or discrimination based on a persons sex or gender

Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to another. Extreme sexism may foster sexual harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. Discrimination in this context is defined as discrimination toward people based on their gender identity or their gender or sex differences. An example of this is workplace inequality. Sexism may arise from social or cultural customs and norms.

Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations and needs equally, regardless of gender.

Equality Now is a non-governmental organization founded in 1992 to advocate for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls. Through a combination of regional partnerships, community mobilization and legal advocacy the organization works to encourage governments to adopt, improve and enforce laws that protect and promote women and girls' rights around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feminism in Japan</span> History of the feminist movement in Japan

Feminism in Japan began with women's rights movements that date back to antiquity. The movement started to gain momentum after Western thinking was brought into Japan during the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Japanese feminism differs from Western feminism in the sense that less emphasis is on individual autonomy.

Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appear in international and humanitarian conventions, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, but have been inconsistently applied. "Forced prostitution" refers to conditions of control over a person who is coerced by another to engage in sexual activity.How many people live through this type of abuse every day remains unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Kazakhstan</span> Overview of the status of women in Kazakhstan

Women in Kazakhstan are women who live in or are from Kazakhstan. Their position in society has been and is influenced by a variety of factors, including local traditions and customs, decades of Soviet regime, rapid social and economic changes and instability after independence, and new emerging Western values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Mali</span> Overview of the status of women in Mali

The status and social roles of women in Mali have been formed by the complex interplay of a variety of traditions in ethnic communities, the rise and fall of the great Sahelien states, French colonial rule, independence, urbanisation, and postcolonial conflict and progress. Forming just less than half Mali's population, Malian women have sometimes been the center of matrilineal societies, but have always been crucial to the economic and social structure of this largely rural, agricultural society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Taiwan</span> Overview of the status of women in Taiwan

The status of women in Taiwan has been based on and affected by the traditional patriarchal views and social structure within Taiwanese society, which put women in a subordinate position to men, although the legal status of Taiwanese women has improved in recent years, particularly during the past two decades when the family law underwent several amendments.

Violence against women in the Philippines includes different forms of gender-based violence. The term "violence against women" is "the word or concept (that) has been used in a broad, inclusive manner to encompass verbal abuse, intimidation, physical harassment, homicide, sexual assault, and rape ." This form of violence is gender-biased. Violence occurs precisely because of their gender, specifically because the victims are women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Yemen</span> Overview of the status of women in Yemen

Women in Yemen have historically been placed at a disadvantage due to their gender, with a highly patriarchal society. Although the government of Yemen has made efforts that will improve the rights of women in Yemen, many cultural and religious norms, along with poor enforcement of this legislation from the Yemeni government, have prevented Yemeni women from having equal rights to men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender Equality Bureau</span> Agency of the government of Japan

The Gender Equality Bureau was established in 2001 as a division of the Japanese Cabinet Office tasked with planning and coordinating the policies of the Japanese Government pertaining to gender equality. The Gender Equality Bureau conducts research on topics concerning issues of gender—compiling findings into an annual report called the "White Paper".

The Norwegian Women's Lobby is a feminist policy and advocacy organization in Norway and works for "the human rights of girls and women in all their diversity, to eliminate all forms of discrimination against all girls and women and to promote a gender equal society." It is described as the country's "main, national, umbrella organization" for women's rights. NWL is inclusive, understands women's human rights and discrimination in an intersectional perspective and "works to represent the interests of all those who identify as women and girls." NWL is funded by the government over the national budget.

Nepal, a Himalayan country situated in South Asia, is one of the poor country because of undeveloped resources. It has suffered from political instability and has had undemocratic rule for much of its history. There is a lack of access to basic facilities, people have superstitious beliefs, and there are high levels of gender discrimination. Although the Constitution provides for protection of women, including equal pay for equal work, the Government has not taken significant action to implement its provisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashida Manjoo</span> South African professor of public law and social activist

Rashida Manjoo is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town and a social activist involved in the eradication of violence against women and gender-based violence. Manjoo was the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women from June 2009 to July 2015.

Yoko Hayashi is a Japanese lawyer and partner in the Athena Law Office. She was formerly an alternate member to the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights from 2004 to 2006. In 2008, she became a member of the Committee which monitors the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and in 2015 was serving as Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Hayashi has used her legal expertise to improve the status and protect the rights of women.

The Federated States of Micronesia is a United States Associated State consisting of 4 states across the Western Pacific Ocean. The estimated population in 2015 was 105,216. Formerly the FSM was a part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) but in 1979 formed its own constitutional government. FSM has a written constitution which took effect in 1979 and has been amended only once in 1990. By virtue of membership in the United Nations, the FSM abides by the UN Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Key human rights concerns in FSM include judicial delays, government corruption, discrimination against women, domestic violence and child neglect.

The position of the Philippines on women's rights is relatively developed compared to many other nations. Over the past century, noticeable developments have been made which have led to greater endorsement and protection of these rights. The progression towards gender equality came about through women's movements, increased numbers of women political representatives, increased numbers of educated women, greater specificity on women's issues instituted under legislation, and the focused application of those laws. In recent years, the Filipino government has addressed the rights of women under a multitude of legislative schemes including workplace discrimination, domestic violence, sexual harassment and human trafficking.

Even as a highly developed and modern society, Japan still has moderate levels of gender inequality. In 2015, the country had a per-capita income of US$38,883, ranking 22nd of the 188 countries, and No. 18 in the Human Development Index. Its Gender Inequality Index rank was 17th on the 2019 report ahead of Germany, the UK and the US, performing especially well on the reproductive health and higher education attainment indices. Despite this, gender inequality still exists in Japan due to the persistence of gender norms in Japanese society. Gender-based inequality manifests in various aspects of social life in Japan, from the family to political representation, playing particular roles in employment opportunities and income, and occurs largely as a result of differing gender roles in traditional and modern Japanese society. Inequality also lies within divorce and the marriage of same sex couples due to both a lack of protective divorce laws and the presence of restrictive marriage laws; discrimination exists outside of the law and is present in the modern day society of Japan.

Foreign aid for gender equality in Jordan includes programs funded by governments or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that aim to empower women, close gender based gaps in opportunity and experience, and promote equal access to education, economic empowerment, and political representation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Development Goal 5</span> Global goal to achieve gender equality by 2030

Sustainable Development Goal 5 concerns gender equality and is fifth of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by United Nations in 2015. The 17 SDGs recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

References

  1. HumanTrafficking.org organization overview Archived March 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. AWORC member profile
  3. Yuji Iwasawa. International Law, Human Rights, and Japanese Law. Page 206.
  4. Yuji Iwasawa. International Law, Human Rights, and Japanese Law. Page 234.
  5. WEF Gender Gap Report. 2011.
  6. "AJWRC Mission Statement". Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  7. Jessica Ocheltree, Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center, Metropolis, 9 Dec 2011