Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality

• AKIZUKI Hiroko, Member, CEDAW Committee (Moderator)
• TSUKAGOSHI Manabu, Director, NPO Fathering Japan/ Consultant, Diversity & Work Life Balance Development Dept., Toray Corporate Business Research, Inc./ CPA
• UEDA Naoko, Head of OECD Tokyo Centre
• Saima WAZED, Chairperson, Shuchona Foundation/ Advisor to the Director-General, WHO on Mental Health & Autism
• MORITA Ayami, Lawyer/ Member of Kudamatsu city council, Yamaguchi (Rapporteur)

Realizing a society in which gender-based violence and discrimination are eradicated and all people can live with dignity and pride in their existence is a prerequisite for a gender-equal society. In reality, however, various problems that trample upon basic human rights continue to exist.

For example, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in three women worldwide experience violence at least once in her lifetime(note1). Amidst the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence continues to worsen, with one woman killed by her partner or family member every 11 minutes, according to some reports(note2). Online gender-based violence is also escalating, with no shortage of examples of persistent attacks on victims of sexual violence and women activists.

In order to address such violence, there is a need for the expansion of remedies for victims and measures to prevent recidivism as well as harsher punishments for perpetrators. At the same time, it is important to create an environment where victims themselves can speak up and report the violence they have suffered from. Long-term efforts are also needed to eliminate discrimination against women and gender stereotypes.

In order to create a society where women have dignity and pride, we need to focus on physical issues specific to women and girls. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), the right to freely make responsible decisions about whether, when, and how many children to have, while at the same time ensuring access to safe and effective contraception methods, was first proposed at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo Conference) and has become a widely recognized concept over the past 30 years or so.

At the WAW! 2022, we will discuss what efforts are needed to shape the foundations of a society in which all people, including women and girls, are guaranteed their rights and can live with dignity and pride.

For more information on the current situation and challenges surrounding the realization of a society that protects the dignity and pride of women, please refer to the following website (PDF) .

• What problems have arisen for women and girls in each country as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic? What measures have been taken to overcome the problems?
• What preventive measures, victim support measures, and punishment of perpetrators are being implemented in each country to eradicate violence against women and girls?
• What kind of environment needs to be created to enable victims of gender-based violence to speak up? What efforts need to be made to prevent secondary victimization?
• What efforts are needed to prevent women and girls from falling into the negative spiral of "period poverty" while promoting the protection of "sexual and reproductive health and rights? What are some good examples of such efforts?

• (note1) WHO, “Violence against women”
• (note2) United Nations, “Violence against Women, Girls May Be World’s Longest, Deadliest Pandemic, Secretary-General Warns in Message to Group of Friends Commission Event”