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JAIWR
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JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS
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Intorduction
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The Japanese Association of International Women's
Rights (hereafter JAIWR) is a Japanese NGO established in 1987. The
Association's objective is facilitating the advancement of women through
research and dissemination of information on the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (hereafter CEDAW Convention),
which was ratified by Japan in 1985.
This is JAIWR's first quadrennial report to the Committee on Non-Governmental
Organizations and its activities relevant to the United Nations during
the period from 1998 to 2001 are described below in accordance with
the Guidelines for Submission of Quadrennial Reports for NGOs in General
and Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council.
Membership of JAIWR includes individuals in Japan except for a few cases
where those individuals resided in foreign countries. As of December
2001, our membership was consisted of 223 persons. There was not any
substantial change in the organization's sources of funding or in affiliation
to other international NGOs in consultative status in the current reporting
period. |
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1. Participation in the Economic and Social Council and its Subsidiary Bodies and/or Conferences and Other United Nations Meetings |
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| JAIWR's representatives attended and monitored the following United Nations' conferences and meetings. | |
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・3 representatives of JAIWR attended the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly "Women 2000," 5-9 June 2000, New York. |
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| ・Following numbers of representatives monitored the Committee of Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), New York: | |
| - 2 representatives to the 18th Session, 6 -19
February 1998; - 5 representatives to the 20th Session, 19 January -5 February 1999; - 3 representatives to the 22nd Session, 17 January - 4 February 2000; - 1 representative to the 23rd Session, 12-30 June 2000; - 4 representatives to the 24th Session, 15 January - 2 February 2001 |
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| ・Following numbers of representatives monitored the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), New York: | |
| - 1 representative to the 42nd Session of CSW, 2-13 March
1998; - 1 representative to the 43rd Session of CSW, 1-19 March 1999; - 7 representatives to the 44th Session of CSW, 28 February - 17 March 2000; - 2 representatives to the 45th Session of CSW, 6-16 March 2001. |
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| ・The organization's president, Ms. Ryoko Akamatsu, a former CEDAW member, was invited and attended to the Round Table to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of adoption of the CEDAW convention, 7 June 1999, New York. | |
| ・1 representative of JAIWR monitored the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) High-Level Inter-Governmental Meeting to Review the Regional Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 26-29 October 1999, Bangkok. | |
| 2. Cooperation with UN Bodies and Specialized Agencies |
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・Co-sponsored "International Symposium to Commemorate
the Twentieth Anniversary of Adoption of CEDAW Convention" with
the United Nations Information Center, Tokyo at International House
of Japan, Tokyo, 11 October 1999. The symposium was held in conjunction
with the Third Ryoko Akamatsu Award Ceremony and the recipient of the
award, Dr. Ivanka Corti of Italy, then member of CEDAW made the keynote
speech.
・The JAIWR was consulted by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women regarding nomination of a Japanese representative to the Judicial Colloquium on the Application of International Human Rights Law at the Domestic Level held in Vienna, 27-29 October 1999 in regard to the nomination of a woman judge from Japan and the organization replied to the Division after searching for a suitable nominee. |
| 3. Other Relevant Activities | |
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The organization organized symposiums, seminars,
and/or workshops to make known the importance of the CEDAW Convention
to the wider public in Japan at various venues and occasions.
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| Symposiums and Lectures | |
| ・ "Forum on the Impact of the CEDAW Convention"
inviting Ms. Hanna Beate Schopp-Schilling of Germany, member of CEDAW
as the main speaker, KKR Hotel, Tokyo, 27 July 1998 ・ Symposium titled "The United Nations, Human Rights, and Women: 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the CEDAW Convention," Tokyo Women's Plaza, Tokyo, 31 October 1998 ・ "Symposium to report on the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly, 'Women 2000,'" Kodomo no Shiro, 15 July 2000, Tokyo. ・ Lecture by Ms. Chikako Taya of Japan, then member of CEDAW as the main speaker, held at the occasion of the Fourth Ryoko Akamatsu Award Ceremony, Center for the Advancement of Working Women, 11 November 2000. Ms. Taya spoke on the CEDAW Convention and its Optional Protocol; ・ International Symposium "Agenda for Asian Women in the 21st Century: Labour, Education, and the CEDAW Convention," inviting Ms. Luvsandanzan Ider of Mongolia, the first CEDAW Committee Chair as the keynote speaker. The symposium was held as part of the Fifth Ryoko Akamatsu Award Ceremony where Ms. Ider was the recipient, International House of Japan, Tokyo, 1 December 2001. |
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Seminars on United Nations
Activities on Women
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| JAIWR held annual seminars inviting members of and Japanese official representatives to the bodies of the United Nations working for the advancement of women, i.e., Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Commission on the Status of Women, and Third Committee of General Assembly, to learn about activities of such bodies at the following dates and venues: 23 May 1998 at Forum Yokohama, Yokohama-city; 22 May 1999 at Epoc 10, Tokyo; 6 May 2000 at Epoc 10; 2 June 2001 at Epoc 10. | |
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Women 2000 Workshop
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| JAIWR organized a workshop titled "Women's Convention and Asian Women: Towards the Ratification of the Optional Protocol" on 4 June 2000 at Manhattan Crown Plaza Hotel, New York, as part of NGO activities in relation to the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly. Speakers from Indonesia, Nepal, Korea, United States, and Japan made reports on situations of implementation of the Convention and prospects for ratification of the Optional Protocol in each country. | |
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Educational Workshops
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| JAIWR held workshops containing skits, slides, gender-check quiz, and lectures on the CEDAW Convention and its Optional Protocol in order to raise awareness about the contents of the Convention and facilitate the movement towards ratification of the Optional Protocol by the Japanese Government. Twelve (12) workshops were held during the reporting period in Tokyo area as well as local cities in Japan. | |
| Publications: | |
| Kokusai Josei
(annual journal of the organization) No. 12, December 1998 Kokusai Josei (annual journal of the organization) No. 13, December 1999 Kokusai Josei (annual journal of the organization) No. 14, December 2000 Kokusai Josei (annual journal of the organization) No. 15, December 2001 Mother Tells about the Women's Convention (a picture book about the Convention, in English), 2000 Yasashiku Manabou Josei no Kenri ("Let's Learn about Women's Rights", a booklet on the Convention, in Japanese), 2001 |
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*This quadrennial report was submitted by Ms. Miho OMI,
Chair, International Committee, JAIWR.
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Copyright (C) 2002 Japanese Association of International Women's Rights. All Rights Reserved.