Press Releases

1. On June 26 (NY time), at the 18th meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, election of the members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was held. From Japan, Ms. Yoko Hayashi, a lawyer and current member of CEDAW, was elected.

2. Ms. Hayashi, as a prominent lawyer in Japan has developed considerable expertise in the field of human rights issues, in particular, gender issues. She also has extensive experience with the United Nations through her membership of the Japanese delegation to the 54th session of the Commission on Status of Women (CSW) (2010) and her alternate membership of the UN Sub-Commission on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights(2004-2006). Furthermore, she has been served as a member of CEDAW committee its activities including as the Chair of Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol and as the Chair of Working Group on Natural Disaster, Climate Change and Gender.

3. Under Prime Minister Shinzo ABE who presented his initiative of creating a “society in which all women shine”, it is more than before significant for Japan that Ms. Hayashi continues to contribute to the efforts of the Committee, by harnessing her wide expertise and experiences on the rights of women.