Japan Press Weekly

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2021 July 28 - August 3 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP Dietmembers talk with int'l NGO on gender equal ODA

Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers on July 27 held talks with the international NGO "Plan International Japan" in the Diet building on the promotion of gender equality in Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA).

JCP members of the House of Councilors Inoue Satoshi, Kurabayashi Akiko, Yamazoe Taku, and Ito Gaku received requests from the organization.

Nagashima Chiya pointed out that developing countries have characteristic issues such as the practice of child marriage and teenage pregnancy as well as female genital mutilation (FGM). She pointed out that Japan's ODA projects with gender equality as the main focus of attention account for only less than 1% of Japan's total ODA while the global average is about 4%, and that Japan ranks the lowest in this regard among OECD nations. She requested that the Japanese government set numerical targets and boost gender-informed projects in order to move toward at least the world average of 4%.

JCP Inoue in response said, "Japan's ODA projects are mainly for economic infrastructure and place little importance on education and healthcare. A fundamental shift is necessary. To achieve this end, the JCP will do its best to promote this long overdue shift."