【Statement】On International Women's Day -Toward a world where no woman suffers under conflict and war-
（This translation is temporary.)
Statement on International Women's Day
-Toward a world where no woman suffers under conflict and war-
March 8th, 2022
Greens Japan Women’s Network
Greens Japan’s Steering Committee
Today, March 8, is International Women's Day, which calls for women's equal political and social participation. This year, women around the world are facing the toughest situation in recent years. The military coup in Myanmar (Burma) that took place last February, the Taliban's reinstatement in Afghanistan in August, are followed by the Russian military invasion of Ukraine since this February 24 which has put a tremendous number of women in mortal danger.
In Japan, as the Corona disaster continues, women in part-time job, who are about twice as likely as men (*1), are suffering from reduced income due to the closure of their children's schools, increased household work, and increasing concerns about unemployment, and their level of poverty is increasing. And evacuees from the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, especially women who are forced to evacuate as mothers and children, also continue to be trapped mentally and economically.
Only 9.7% of women were elected to the House of Representatives in last October's election, while in four years ago the percentage barely exceeded 10%.
Discrimination against women in Japan is far from improving. Female candidates and politicians are subjected to "vote harassment" by voters. When using the Internet, women suffer from "online sexual harassment". Women working remotely have “remote harassment”, in which they feel uncomfortable with over-monitoring supervisors who demand reporting excessively, with colleagues who behave too casual profiting out of supervisor’s sight.
Since its predecessor organization, the Greens Japan has consistently established and practiced a constitution in which at least half of the co-chairs, steering committee members, and other officers must be women. Since 2019, we have established a women's network within the party to exchange opinions and information on the situation of women and LGBTQ+ discrimination.
Through the discussion in our women’s network, we have found that "assumptions of male superiority" are imprinted on both men and women, and they are manifested in every field, including the family, education, business, parliament, the judiciary, medicine, and the press, making life difficult for every gender. We are working to realize a society where all SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity), including women and LGBTQIA+, are accepted and everyone can live their own life. At the municipal level, we are encouraging to use the gender mixed lists of students in all schools, opposing the authorities’ recommending the cervical cancer vaccines, and promoting the ordinances of the same-sex partnership. At the national level, we are against the patriarchal Family Registration Law and the Penal Code, on the other hand, promoting the selective surname system for married couple and developing the laws for the same-sex marriage.
People are now being killed in conflicts in many parts of the world including Ukraine, and the hardship is especially concentrated among women. We are afraid the water and food shortages due to climate change will also contribute to conflict, further exacerbating the situation for women. The role of women, the most related party of the damage, is essential to the resolution of conflicts and the regeneration of society. We believe that empowering women to make decisions in all aspects of society will lead to the creation of a society that respects diversity and value of life.
We stand in solidarity with women around the world to achieve peace not by threatening and fighting with force, but through discussion and sharing,.
(※1) Labor Force Survey 2021（P.8）
https://www.stat.go.jp/data/roudou/sokuhou/nen/ft/pdf/index1.pdf
Original text (Japanese)
https://greens.gr.jp/seimei/31368/
