Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center (AJWRC) is a
non-governmental organisation
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
founded in 1994 that advocates
gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality, gender egalitarianism, or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, an ...
, the end of violence against women, a more just society, and environmentally
sustainable development
Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...
.
AJWRC holds events like empowerment seminars and study groups for women, training and workshops, and they also publish research and conduct outreach campaigns in furtherance of their mission. The activities serve to raise awareness among Japanese women of global as well as domestic issues. Because
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
is a leading nation in the Asian economy and international politics, the organisation feels an obligation to encourage Japanese women to take a leading role in advocacy for improved
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
. Additionally, Japan is the destination for the largest number of cross-border
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
victims in
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, which AJWRC takes as further impetus for their mission.
Disparity between genders has been shrinking in most developed countries over the last century, but AJWRC holds that Japan has lagged behind the trend. As examples, women represent a mere 10% of the
National Diet
, transcription_name = ''Kokkai''
, legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet
, coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg
, house_type = Bicameral
, houses =
, foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
's legislative body, and women earn just 60% of the salary of their male counterparts in the workforce.
AJWRC grew out of the Asian Women's Association, which was founded in 1977, when gender inequality was even more severe. It wasn't until 1985 that the Japanese government ratified a
, and the country received failing marks as late as 1986 in
Humana
Humana Inc. is an American for-profit health insurance company based in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2024, the company ranked 92 on the Fortune 500 list, which made it the highest ranked (by revenues) company based in Kentucky. It is the fourth l ...
's ''World Human Rights Guide''
[Yuji Iwasawa. ''International Law, Human Rights, and Japanese Law.'' Page 234.] regarding the status of women, and is one of the industrialized world's least equal countries in terms of gender gap.
The AWA initially focused on protesting the
sex trade, but as their influence grew, they expanded their mandate to tackle women's issues more broadly in the country, eventually forming AJWRC as it is today. According to the group's website, they work "to end all forms of violence and discrimination against women, toward democratic Japanese society based on respect for
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
and gender equality, and toward a fair and sustainable global society."
[Jessica Ocheltree]
Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Center
Metropolis, 9 Dec 2011
See also
*
Women in Japan
A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or Adolescence, adolescent is referred to as a girl.
Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functi ...
*
Feminism in Japan
Feminism in Japan began with women's rights movements that date back to antiquity. The movement started to gain momentum after Western thinking was brought into Japan during the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Japanese feminism differs from Western ...
*
Women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
References
External links
Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center
{{Authority control
Feminist organizations in Japan
Comfort women-related organizations