16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM
AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE CAMPAIGN 2011
November 25 to December 10

From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!

 

 

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
is an international campaign to call for the end to gender-based violence. During the 16 days between November 25- International Day Against Violence Against Women- and December 10- International Human Rights Day, groups and individuals around the world organize various events and actions.
★Know more about the 16 days campaign

Theme for 2011 Campaign: From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!
Militarism as an ideology that creates a culture of fear and supports the use of violence, aggression, or military interventions for settling disputes and enforcing economic and political interests often has grave consequences for the true safety and security of women, of men who do not conform to these roles, and of society as a whole.
★More details about the 2011 theme
★Meeting Report on Intersections of Violence Against Women and Militarism(PDF)

Calender of Events in Japan

◆War ended long ago?–The war a 14-year-old girl experienced
“How are militarism and violence against women related?” “What do they have to do with us living in Japan peace and safe?” — Let’s think over these matters as we read a picture book about the war a 14-year-old girl experienced.
[Date/Time]November 23, 2011(Wed) 14：00-16：00
[Venue]Yoga-cafe-space Hitotubunotane, Tokyo (see Map)
[Participation Fee]500yen
[Organizer]AJWRC Youth Group

◆Kick-off Event of the 16 Days Campaign 2011: What are the messages of the Nobel Peace Prize? Redefining “Peace” and “Security” from Gender Perspectives
After the Great Earthquake and the nuclear disaster that struck Eastern pert of Japan on March 11, military rescue operations were highly appreciated. Howerver, women’s security concerns are kept marginalized, and women’s participation in reconstruction development or energy policy decision-making is very limited. With keynote speech by Kozue Akibayashi (Ritsumeikan University/WILPF Japan) and reports from mothers from Fukushima and a NGO working with the affected women, this symposium will redefine the meaning of “peace” and “security” from gendered perspectives in the post-disaster Japan.
[Date/Time]November 25, 2011(Fri) 7-9pm
[Venue]Women’s center Iris, 8th Floor, Shibuya-ku Bunka Sogo Center Owada.(5 min. walk from JR/subway Shibuya Sta., Tokyo)
[Participation Fee]1000yen/ 500yen for AJWRC members, students and those below 29-years-old
[Organizer]AJWRC/JSPS Grant Research project: Peacebulding with a gender perspective in the age of “backlash”

◆Military and Women’s Human Rights: Lessons from the Court Case of Sexual Violence Against Female SDF Officer
A female officer of Japan Self-Defense Force who had suffered from sexual violence from a male officer as well as power abuse from supervisors filed a lawsuit to hold the state accountable in 2006. The symposium is to review the victory of the court case and remaining issues related women’s human rights and military, with the complainant, her lawyers and supports.
[Date/Time]November 26, 2011(Sat) 1:30-4:50pm
[Venue]Josei Shugyo Sien Center, 5 min. walk from JR Tamachi Sta., Tokyo
[Participation Fee]800yen
[Organizer]Association to Support the Court Case of the Female SDF Officer & AJWRC

◆Awarding Ceremony of the 2011 Yayori Award and Yayori Journalist Award
Sarasvathy Muthu, Malaysian woman human rights defender who would receive the Yayori Award 2011, as well as the two award winners of the Yayori Journalist Award, Tari Ito, Japanese performance artist, and Manami Kishimoto, Japanese human rights journalist, will give speech.
[Date/Time]December 3, 2011(Sat) 1:30pm
[Venue]Waseda Hoshien, 5 min. walk from Wased Sta., Tokyo
[Participation Fee]Free
[Organizer]Women’s Fund for Peace and Human Rights
For details of events and the profiles of the awardees, visit the WFPHR site.

◆Symposium on Japan-US-Korea-Military Alliance and “Anti-Prostitution” Laws
In order to make a strong presence in East Asia, the United States established the South Korean Military and Japan Self-Defense Force under the East and West Cold-War structure. By comparing and discussing the situation of Japan, Korea and Okinawa which enacted“ anti-prostitution” laws to watch women’s body for the purpose of making American soldier whoredom safe from venereal disease, we will examine the actuality that wartime slavery (helotism) uses women as a resource for pursuing the war, and we will discuss the reality of the military alliance between Japan, the United States and Korea that underlies the TPP issue.
[Date/Time]December 4, 2011(Sun) 1:00-5.30pm
[Venue]Otsuma Women’s University, Chiyoda Campus. http://www.gakuin.otsuma.ac.jp/english/about/map.html
[Participation Fee]Free
[Organizer]Research Project “Women’s Independence and International Migration in East Asia”, The Institute of Human Culture Studies, Otsuma Women’s University

◆Fashion Resistance to Militarism
Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center Yourth-Group is striving to raise awareness about the issues of nuclear power, war and peace, through the medium of fashion. Can you believe that nuclear power is clean and safe? One should remember that the history of nuclear policies is closely linked to
militarism. The Disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has motivated us to express our desire for safety and peace through fashion resistance. We have chosen a way which will not harm our fellow human beings.
[Date/Time]December 10, 2011(Sat) 5-7:30pm
[Venue]Terakoya Fit!(see Map)
[Participation Fee]Free
[Organizer]AJWRC Youth Group

◆The 1000th Wednesday Demonstration Global Action Day
In solidarity with Korean “comfort women” survivors, various actions will be held in many major cities in Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Nagoya, Hiroshima etc. For example, the Tokyo action is to make human chain surrounding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to pressure the Japanese government to give redress to the “comfort women” survivors.
[Date/Time]December 14, 2011(Wed)
[Organizer]Japan Action 2010 for Resolution of the ‘Comfort Women’ Issue
★Go to the campaign website for more details

For the details of the above events, contact AJWRC (ajwrc@ajwrc.org)