U.N. questions Japanese government's reluctance to eliminate discrimination against women -- Akahata editorial, July 13

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women is in session in New York to examine member countries' progress in implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Japanese government's report was examined on July 8.

Ratify optional protocol

In the examination of the Japanese government report, questions were concentrated on Japan's reluctance to ratify the Optional protocol to the Convention.

The Optional Protocol provides that an individual woman (or a group of women) has the right to report to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women about discrimination against them. To date, 53 countries have become treaty members.

The Japanese government, however, reported in September 2002 that the need was to prudently study the issue because the protocol may conflict with the Japanese judicial system.

When the government in February 2003 was asked about subsequent progress, it expressed reluctance to ratify by saying that further study is necessary before ratification.

The chair of the U.N. committee at the beginning and end of the examination referred to the Japanese government by name, and many committee members urged Japan to ratify.

As regards the Japanese government's explanation for the reason of not ratifying the treaty as possibly violating the independence of the judiciary, many committee members questioned, "Why is it necessary to relate the treaty with the judicial system? If the Japanese government clearly stands for eliminating discrimination against women by implementing the treaty, the reporting system which strengthens the treaty is indispensable in eliminating discrimination against women."

When a committee member from Indonesia, who was in charge of examining the Japanese report, asked Japan to determine the date of Japan's ratification, the Japanese government failed to set a date.

In 2001 and 2002, the petition by women's organizations for the protocol to be ratified was adopted by the House of Councilors plenary session.

This year, Japan's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) sent many reports to the U.N. committee and on the examination day about 60 women monitored the examination. Encouraged by the discussions in the U.N. committee, the women in the gallery were determined to further develop the movement demanding that the selective protocol be ratified.

Participants in the committee expressed their surprise and critical views when they learned that the Japanese government has again delayed implementing the recommendation, even though nine years have passed since the previous committee observations and eight years since the final statement was issued.

Questions were raised as to the following problems: part-time workers and wage disparity, women's participation in decision-making, the system of husband and wife retaining separate family names, insufficient measures against domestic violence, discrimination against illegitimate children, and statements by Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Ishihara Shintaro and Dietmembers contemptuous of women today and wartime comfort women.

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women pointed out that steps to achieve gender equality come too slowly for women in Japan, one of the richest nations in the world. Despite that, considerable advances are taking place with regard to establishing legitimate frameworks for women's status in Japan.

Implement the convention

However, it is quite encouraging that reports from Japan's NGOs have been distributed to committee members in advance of the session.

This is the third time that the U.N. committee has examined the Japanese government's reports.

It is now 18 years since the Japanese government ratified the convention, and during these years, Japan's women through their strenuous efforts have greatly contributed to comprehensively implement what the convention urges Japan to accomplish.

Now that the irresponsibility of the Japanese government has become all the clearer through U.N. discussions, the need is to further advance grassroots struggles calling for implementation of the convention. (end)