The occasion was the 56th Session of UN Commission on the Status of Women.
The government of Japan (represented by Hiroko Hashimoto) submitted a resolution ("Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in Natural Disaster") urging the world to adopt women's points of view in emergency disaster response, recovery and reconstruction like Japan is doing, including measures for empowering women in rural areas and compulsory quota for women's participation in committees that formulate master plans for local agriculture.
Jiji Tsushin (3/9/2012) reports the resolution was unanimously adopted. As Jiji reports it, the resolution was:
妊産婦や授乳を行う女性のニーズに配慮しながら、支援に取り組むよう各国政府や市民社会に促している
to urge the governments in the world and in the community to support the disaster recovery with the needs of pregnant women and breast-feeding women
I read the statement that explains the resolution, and I didn't find anything about needs of pregnant and breast-feeding women. I didn't find any "urging" of the international community. It is quite possible that the statement I read is different from the resolution.
The purpose of the resolution, crafted with all the "right" words, is to describe what the Japanese government has been doing and is planning to do in the "gender equality" and have a stamp of approval from the UN, so that the government can say to the Japanese citizens, "See, UN approved it, so we will implement it." Much like the Finance Minister promised the consumption tax hike at an IMF meeting first, and used the promise as Japan's "obligation" to carry it out.
And this is a country governed by the politicians and so-called experts who have ridiculed, even excoriated women who want to protect their children or anybody's children from radiation as "monster" mothers, calling their fears as "irrational, women's fears".
So much for appreciation for women's points of view.
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9 comments:
It doesn't matter if we're male or female. The people running the show won't listen to us either way.
This is actually very slick social manipulation. They can build up citizens groups pushing the idea of feminized emotion based group think. Feelings are easily manipulated and easily dismissed. Especially when dealing with a group of people trained to follow the crowd.
The government can also divide and conquer, pretending women's interests in this disaster are different to mens and try to play one group off against another. Trying to create a conflict where there should be only unity. Then there is the pride angle. Having just trashed the reasonable concerns of parents for their children, and painted Mothers as "irrational monsters", now they will play upon pride pretending that suddenly they see women's "emotional" concerns as being of paramount importance. But watch things turn septic if someone starts trying to address the facts rather than just feelings. Like the unfortunate fact that a significant number of people are living in areas that even the Soviets at Chernobyl would have evacuated due to excessive contamination. Facts like that can upset a nice lie and cost industry an awful lot of money. Far better to have people focus on emotions, felt needs and government lead predetermined consensus.
No doubt they've figured out the best way to render farmer lead opposition to their policies ineffective is for the government to fund and appoint their leaders. In this case a feminized government appointed group of tame leaders focusing on emotion not fact. Its evil, but evil with government money behind it. Anyone with a brain in their head should refuse to have anything to do with such government funded "committees". Is the recovery effort about saving lives and livelihoods? Or is it about social engineering and "felt needs" trumping reason to shut people up?
Much like the inane "kizuna" campaign, this is a crass attempt to mask the situation, as you cogently observe. They are already making a mockery of their previous unnecessarily lax radiation levels for growing rice. They'll trot out a few rural obasans who say they want to farm, to justify further poisoning their own people. They'll invent some kind of rural farm mamas group in Fukushima. They probably had names on paper before this "resolution" was even submitted. One can hear echoes of wartime propaganda campaigns herein.
Just my insight on this - the women of Japan are not given equal rights even if the law says so. They still serve as OLs and the main right they have is to take the kids in a divorce. In a position of power the are even further ridiculed. This being said, in rare intances you will find the father being more concerned than the mother re radiation. For the most part they are both in denial.
"I didn't find anything about needs of pregnant and breast-feeding women"
excellent point.
Prime Minister Yoshihito Noda stated in his “Policy Speech to the Diet” something on “Diet”. Perhaps this is where the information you are looking for is located?
Personally, what I find a little creepy is the stated plan to use “actors” to manipulate society with?
“In recovering from the earthquake, we are in the process of building an inclusive society in which
Actors including women, children, the elderly and the persons with disabilities actively participate while also emphasizing the promotion of gender equality.”
All humans are equal in their rights to participation in proper government. The voice of “real humans” are required by the ethics of proper government. Any government that is propped up by “actors” is only a puppet show.
@Brackett, you're really, really, truly, DUMB. "Actors" in this context do not mean "actors" on TV and movies. For Christ's sake.
Check any of your favorite online dictionaries before you dare post your ignorance.
First time poster. My Japanes wife and I evacuated Tokyo when the second reactor blew and within another two weeks left the country after over 20 years of living there.
There were two main issues that drove our decision: government could not be trusted and the inevitable issues with food contamination that would follow. Were right on both points.
The Japanese playbook regarding any opposition is and has alwyas been to infiltrate and absorb any potentially serious citizen movements, placing their own stooges into top posts and eventually diluting the agenda into a feel good do nothing characature of the original intentions of any such groups. This has been very effective as witnessed by what union movements have actually become as well as many citizen and NGO organizations.
I have nothing but empathy and love for the ordinary Japanese people who have suffered so long under such reckless and, indeed, malicious governance.
Anon at 11:52,
I am sad that you had to leave Japan, but your decision and your post here are a testimony to a clear head and a good heart. Would that more people had the same level of understanding.
Excellent points made by Fallout Man as well...
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