Press Release

01/11/2017

Women’s Eye and the Tohoku Grassroots Academy
Bring 10 Young Female Leaders from Tohoku’s Disaster Regions
to Seattle for Leadership Training (Feb. 2017)
Specified non-profit Women’s Eye (Executive Director: Megumi Ishimoto) will carry out
its first overseas training as part of the Grassroots Academy Tohoku. From February
5th to 11th, 2017, 10 young female leaders from Tohoku’s disaster regions will receive
capacity-development training at the Seattle-based leadership school iLEAP. During
their stay, participants will meet with local residents and have an opportunity topresent on their activities in Tohoku and the state of recovery. This training will
increase the influence of young female leaders active in Tohoku through equippingthem with new skills and building self-confidence and awareness.
This training has been made possible through the generosity of L’OCCITANE Japon andthe Fondation L’OCCITANE. Every year, Fondation L’OCCITANE releases charity
products for International Women’s Day (March 8), donating the profits to initiatives
supporting women. This year, the total proceeds from the Women’s Day Shea Balm(Rose) have been donated to this project, which provides support for young female
leaders active in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures.
iLEAP
iLEAP is a non-profit based in Seattle that provides leadership development programs
for leaders from countries including Japan and many Third World nations. Throughgrowing both practical skills and critical thinking, they help build peaceful, globalcommunities.
L’OCCITANE
Provence, France, where the bright sun and blooming flowers are constant remindersof the region’s bountiful nature. Born here in 1976, L’OCCITANE passes on the lifestyleof Provence through fragrances and skincare products using only the finest naturalingredients. Since their start selling pioneering skin care products based on plants andessential oils, they have expanded to over 90 countries and are a favorite of celebrities
and trend-setters worldwide.
Grassroots Academy Tohoku
The Grassroots Academy Tohoku is a space for gathering next generation female
leaders from Tohoku’s 3 prefectures (Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima) and encouraging theirPress Releasedevelopment through mutual learning and sharing experiences. The program began inMarch 2015 with the International Grassroots Women’s Academy in Tohoku, held inMinamisanriku Town with the support of the Huairou Commission. 40 female leadersfrom Tohoku’s 3 prefectures and 15 female leaders from 10 countries in Asia, SouthAmerica, and elsewhere participated in this international training.
In 2016, we begin a new 3-year program, and have held Academies in Iwate Prefecturein February and Fukushima in August. In February 2015’s pre-event training we weredelighted to host Akiko Domoto, who has long promoted women’s initiatives. InFebruary of 2016, we were joined in Iwate by the famous American seismologist Lucy
Jones, and in August by Osaki Asako, director of Plan International Japan and an expert
on gender. These guests provided support and encouragement for the young female
participants.
To date 58 people have participated in these programs, and after the Seattle training
we are planning an event in Miyagi Prefecture for May 2017.
http://womenseye.net/g_tohoku
For any enquiries please contact
Women’s Eye
Megumi Ishimoto
Tel: +81 090-6018-7759
http://womenseye.net/g_tohoku
E-mail: womensacademyintohoku@gmail.com
Tome Josei Shien Center, Shindaito 125, Sanuma-aza, Hasama-cho, Tome-shi,
Miyagi, 987-0511, Japan
L’OCCITANE JAPON K.K.
PR: Kumiko Tanaka/Yukari Yoshida/Nakahara Natsuko
Tel: +81 03-3234-6966 Fax: +81 03-3234-6967
Email: PR.ja-jp@loccitane.com
Publication Enquiries:
L’OCCITANE JAPON Customer Service
Tel: +81 0570-66-6940
12th Floor, Hirakawa-cho Mori Tower, 2-16-1 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo,
102-0093, Japan