Japan Press Weekly

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2013 November 27 - December 3 [WOMEN]

60-year-old Fudanren resolves to create society where women can play active roles

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Japan Federation of Women’s Organizations (Fudanren) on December 1 held a general meeting in Tokyo and adopted a new action program which includes strengthening of its efforts to oppose an attempt to revise the Constitution for the worse.

Fudanren Chair Horie Yuri in her opening speech pointed out that the Abe Cabinet intends to adversely revise labor regulations under the pretext that creation of various types of job opportunities will enable women to work more flexibly. “Let’s start our 61st year with increasing our efforts to achieve true empowerment of women,” she added.

Secretary General Enomoto Yoko presented a new Fudanren’s action plan for the next general meeting. She proposed that Fudanren work to support women’s joint struggles against constitutional revision, gender equality based on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and improvement of women’s rights and conditions in workplaces.

Later on the day, Fudanren held a reception to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its foundation.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo in his guest speech noted Fudanren’s three important roles as follows: With its motto, “No peace, no gender equality”, Fudanren has been engaged in peace movements, such as protection of Article 9 of the Constitution, abolition of nuclear weapons, and abrogation of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty; Fudanren has worked for gender equality utilizing an international perspective and it made efforts to achieve Japan’s ratification of the UN convention against gender discrimination; and Federation has played an important role to create a nationwide umbrella of women’s groups working together.

“I anticipate the further development of the Fudanren movement, based on its slogan of ‘Peace, gender equality, and international solidarity,’ and applaud the 60 years of its history,” the JCP chair said.

Fudanren was founded in the midst of the Korean War, April 1953, by women in Japan calling for peace. Since then, it has devoted itself to realize various women’s demands, such as peace, democracy, gender equality, and children’s right to happiness.