Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2016 March 9 - 15 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Participants in International Women’s Day rally resolve to put an end to Abe politics through elections

On March 8, a rally celebrating the 2016 International Women’s Day took place in Tokyo under the slogan, “Abolish the war legislation! Restore constitutionalism!"

International Women’s Day is the day commemorating women’s struggle for “bread (better living conditions) and suffrage (political participation)”.

Japan Federation of Women’s Organizations (Fudanren) President Shibata Masako in her speech on behalf of the organizing committee said, “Let’s change the current political direction with the power of women voters who cannot tolerate the Abe government’s runaway policies.” She went on to call on rally participants to increase their efforts to create a peaceful and gender equal Japan and world.

Sophia University Professor Nakano Koichi, who is also a member of a citizens’ group called “Save Constitutional Democracy Japan”, gave a lecture titled, “When women rise up, new democracy begins”.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Tamura Tomoko spoke as a guest speaker. Noting that this year will mark 70 years since Japanese women first exercised their suffrage which was granted after WWII, Tamura said that as a sovereign individual, it is necessary for women to act to abolish the war laws and establish a government which will sincerely defend constitutionalism and respond to women’s demand.

Representatives of labor unions and women’s groups reported on their efforts to promote the 20 million signature collection campaign and other activities opposing the war legislation.