Women Today
Kosovo: Its Past and Future

Ms. Edi GUSIA－ Peacekeeping Missions
and Democracy Building

Chief Executive Officer
Agency for Gender Equality /Office of the Prime Minister
Republic of Kosovo

During the past month I had the pleasure ofparticipating in the “Gender Mainstreaming Policies for
Government Officers” program, organized by the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA). During mystay in Japan, a country which during the past 18 years
has contributed to building and strengthening Kosovo’s
state institutions, democracy and economic development,
I realized that economic and political stability is
insufficient for the development, achievement andsustainability of gender equality. Meeting with womenactivists from Japan, the long history of their efforts,
challenges they face, and the discussions with otherparticipants of the program, convinced me that the roadto gender equality is long and difficult, the progress ofwhich is nonlinear. Moreover, local development cannot
be separated from global development. In order toachieve gender equality local and global coalitions are
required.
Eighteen years after the end of the Kosovo War, it isundisputed that what Kosovo has achieved in the field ofgender equality would not have been possible if not for
the generous international support, and the hard workof local women’s rights and human rights activists. Also,
new state institutions, although fragile in theiroperations, still embrace the hard tasks needed to fulfil
the aspirations and dreams of young Kosovar womenand men.
Thanks to this cooperation with the international
community, Kosovo today is a country that
constitutionally recognizes gender equality as afundamental value for the democratic development of
the society. The Agency for Gender Equality, establishedin 2004 with a clear mandate for drafting and monitoring
policies and legislation, is located in the Office of thePrime Minister, the highest executive level of decisionmaking. The Law on Gender Equality requires equal
representation of men and women in all sectors of thecountry’s life and is based on the principle of parity. Six
years after the declaration of the country’s independence
in 2008, the gender quota brought the first results in the2014 elections, where women secured 33.33% ofparliamentary representation, 15 out of 40 women, in
addition to quota candidacy (where every third candidatein the list must be a woman), won with their votes.
Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga (2011-2016), became the firstwoman in the history of Kosovo and the Balkans to holdpresidential office. She became a figure for politicalstability in the country and a powerful voice of thesurvivors of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo –within, as well as outside country borders.
What we have achieved in Kosovo, we have achieved

No.81 November 2017

through continuous efforts, unfamiliar routes andconstant debates. It is worth recalling that it was womenactivists, members of women’s organizations in Kosovo
and civil society, who protested against the minimal
involvement of women in the UNMIK peacekeeping
mission and pressured for greater representation of
women within those institutions. Again, it was womenactivists in Kosovo’s civil society who pressured for the
implementation of Resolution 1325, “Women for Peaceand Security”, to ensure women’s participation in
Kosovo’s peace and security processes. And despite these
efforts, it still took 15 years for women survivors of
sexual violence during the war in Kosovo in 1999, to belegally recognized for their sacrifices and for thiscriminal act to be included in the agenda of international
institutions for the investigation of the war crimes.
However, to this day, no one has been tried and convictedof these monstrous crimes against Albanian women in
Kosovo. Unapplied resolutions are more harmful thanunapproved ones and sexual violence as a means of war
is creating new victims every day.
We need more women in decision making positions
who engage more actively to protect their fellow womenfrom being treated barbarically and in an undignified
manner. We must invest in women as key factors inpreventing and warning young generations who may fallprey to sinister forces who recruit boys and girls every
day on behalf of causes that endanger human lives,
democracy and civilization.
I strongly want to believe that our husbands, brothers
and sons, with the right education and upbringing, withfaith in humanity, empathy and the necessary courage
are our allies in our quest for gender equality. We need
to work together towards the future of our boys andgirls, aiming for a society without violence, where
everyone can enjoy their rights and their freedom to be
and to act, to dream and fulfil their aspirations equally
and with dignity.
Pro file
Edi Gusia is the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency for
Gender Equality in the Prime Minister’s Office of the
Republic of Kosovo. In 2005, she was initially assigned to
the Agency as a consultant to support the newly
established Agency and later on, was employed by the theKosovo Government to lead the Agency’s Division ofReporting and Monitoring, a position she held until 2016.
She has been instrumental in the drafting of key policy
documents for the advancement of the gender equality
agenda in Kosovo, namely the Kosovo Program for
Gender Equality, the National Strategy for Combating
Domestic Violence, and the National Action Plan for the
Implementation of the 1325 UN Resolution.

1

Current Issues Series
Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Gender (Part 2)
Pro file
Obtained master of development study degree from Jones
International University (UNDP Development Academy) in the
U.S. Entered Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1981. After serving
at Japanese Embassy to France, former Zaire, Japanese Mission
to the UN and others, dispatched to UNDP in 2001. Retired
from Foreign Ministry in 2005, served as a senior advisor to
UNDP in charge of coordination and funding of East Timor
humanitarianassistance,
KosovoDeputyResident
Representative, and Country Director in Chad. Assigned to thecurrent post since January 2014.

Director of UNDP Representation Office in Tokyo

Mr. Tetsuo KONDO

Goal 5 of the SDGs is to ensure gender equality andwomen empowerment. All the UN agencies should becommitted to this issue and, at the same time, they
have to ensure gender equality within theadministration. Women’s human rights are mostaffected in conflict areas. UN Security Council
resolution 1325 on gender equality, peace, anddevelopment adopted on October 2000 emphasizes thatwomen and girls should be protected from violence, andthat the role of women in conflict prevention as well as
peace building should be enhanced. In particular, theresolution calls for a special measures form conflicting
parties to protect women and girls from gender-based
violence. It clarifies the responsibility of those who areaccountable for the protection of women and their
human rights.
Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, who was attacked
by the Taliban, almost lost her life. She faced violence
for urging the importance of education for women.
Nevertheless, she continues to fight for the rights ofgirls for peace and dignity. Her activism was recognizedinternationally, and she was youngest recipient to beawarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
When I was working in Kosovo, the UNDP
implemented a project offering training to develop thecapacity of the police, as a part of the governanceprogram. The project was aimed at protecting andreintegrating young girls, who were employed bycriminal organizations and were victims of humantrafficking in Central and Eastern Europe, into society.
In Eastern Europe, these criminal organizations known
as the mafia are very active. They generate money fromhuman trafficking by gathering these women in
Moldova or in Ukraine and other former Soviet Union
countries and send them to Western European cities tobe engaged in the sex industry. Due to its weak
governance and lack of law and order, Kosovo was
frequently the transition point for human trafficking.
The UNDP supported the Kosovo police in ensuringthat women who were trafficked and arrested assuspects of the prosecution were accorded proper humanrights treatment and mental health care. This project,

Women Safety Security Initiative (WSSI), was ongoing
during my service in Kosovo from 2007 to 2010.
Thanks to this project, Kosovo’s security authority
was empowered as a gender-sensitive institution andthe justice system in the area of violence against womenwas strengthened.
Implementing Goal 5 of the SDGs is extremely
important for international organizations andgovernments because people in society are not always
able to claim gender equality, especially in a bottom-up
manner. Therefore, international organizations andgovernments need to incorporate the principle of genderequality into educational and security institutions.
In June 2017, the Japanese Diet passed anamendment of the nation’s sex crime laws1, which had
been barely touched since their enactment in the Meiji
period. The amendment had three main features. First,
the definition of “rape” was broadened to include “forced
sexual intercourse”; therefore, men could also berecognized as victims. Second, minimum imprisonment
was increased to five years to make the punishment
more severe. Third, the victim of the crime no longer
needed to lodge an official complaint for the authorities
to prosecute the offenders. I believe that this amendment
to criminalize sexual violence is an important milestone
toward achieving the SDGs. Every woman and girlshould be protected in any conflict or disaster onpriority, and special measures should be adopted toincrease protection from gender-based violence as afundamental priority in any cultural or religious
community regardless of its economic development
status.
It is the duty of every one of us to make society
gender equal in collaboration with the UN and thegovernments. Let us put our ideas together to do whatbest we can to achieve Goal 5 of the SDGs.

1 Ministry of Justice, Japan, Amendment of a part of the Penal
Code, website (in Japanese) http://www.moj.go.jp/keiji1/keiji12_00140.html

2No.81 November 2017

2017 GSW Post-Conference in Kitakyushu—

Find Your Career of Tomorrow
This year marked the first time the international conference Global Summit of Women (GSW) was held in Japan. Taking
this occasion as an opportunity, The Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women and the City of Kitakyushu held the 2017 GSW
Post-Conference in Kitakyushu—Find Your Career of Tomorrow. Organized by women from local companies who participatedin last year’s GSW in Poland and wanted to convey the passion of globally successful women, the conference featured
speakers from the GSW conference in Tokyo. It was attended by a large number of people from all walks of life—fromstudents and working women, to managers and executives. The conference created an opportunity for participants to think
about and discuss career-building and leadership together, regardless of age, gender, or position.
Date: Mon., May 15, 2017; 15:00 - 19:45
Venue: Hisho banquet hall, 5th Floor, Station Hotel Kokura
Participants: 475
Program:
1st Half: GSW TOKYO Relay talk (Panel Discussion) (15:00–17:10)
Guest speakers:
Ms. Marianne B. HONTIVEROS (Chairperson of Philippines AirAsia)
Ms. Marilyn D. JOHNSON (former Vice President of IBM)
Ms. Masako KATSUKI (Executive Director, Sales Promotion Department at
Nishinippon Shimbun’s Fukuoka headquarters)

Moderator:
Ms. Mitsuko HORIUCHI (President of KFAW)
2nd Half: Networking Party & Interactive Workshop (17:30-19:45)
Keynote Address:
Mr. Hiroshi OGASAWARA(Representative Director and President of Yaskawa Electric Corporation)Workshop:
Facilitator: Ms. Masako ARAKANE (President of Qualia Inc.)

What is the Global Summit of Women (GSW)?
GSW is an international conference that brings together women leaders fromaround the globe to discuss the topic of “women and the economy.” It was first held inMontreal, Canada in 1990, and since then it has been held annually at different major
cities around the world. In May 2017 it was held in Tokyo, marking the first time it washeld in Japan. Over 1,300 people representing 62 countries attended. As theconference consists of CEOs from global companies, top government officials, andheads of SMEs discussing a wide variety of topics such as leadership development,
networking, and corporate assistance, it is sometimes called “Women’s Davos.”1st Half: GSW TOKYO Relay talkMy first job was in TV program production when I was auniversity student. After that I worked in a wide range offields, from international trade to the travel industry, andlearned about business around the world. Then I returned to
the Philippines and started working in the music industry,where I met my lifelong mentor, entrepreneur Tony
Fernandes. Later he asked me if I would like to launch abudget airline, but at the time I was devoting my time totreating an illness so I declined. Five years later he asked
me again, and this time I accepted his offer. I had been awayfrom the corporate world for sometime, and had no knowledgeof or experience with the airline industry, so I started
reading a huge amount of airline regulations and manuals.
But if you do something with passion, doors will open foryou. Nothing will be beyond your reach.

Chairperson of Philippines AirAsia

Ms. Marianne
HONTIVEROSAs a CEO and chairperson of an airline, to me one of themost important parts of the job is communication. If theemployees enjoy themselves, so will our customers. The
things I learned before I was three years old formed thefoundation for my communication skills. In pre-school I
learned how to interact and communicate with others fromadults of various ages and occupations.

No.81 November 20173

I made up my mind to enjoy studying study religions,cultures, and ways of thinking that are different from my
own and not be bound by stereotypes that would limit me,
and to have long-term goals.
After completing graduate school I joined IBM, which
promoted the message that it employs talented people
regardless of race or skin color. Through my work inmarketing on a global scale at IBM, I learned about what
one needs to be a leader, and how to increase my ability to
influence others.
I worked at IBM for 35 years. Now I am launching acompany to help women in business. If you have the desire toconstantly learn and improve yourself, you will find someone
to help you. What led to my success was the desire to improvemyself and the courage to take action.

Former Vice President of IBM

Ms. Marilyn JOHNSONI was born in 1953, the year right before a landmark
Supreme Court decision was made which enabled blackchildren to receive the same education as white children.
Most children started going to white elementary schools;
the surrounding environment became completely different
from what it was before. It was within this environment thatto Tokyo by myself for three years for work. I was worried about
my child, but decided to do it because I thought that if I refused
it would affect the advancement of women in the future. The
second was when I worked at the Korean newspaper Busan
Ilbo. I was 45 and it was an unknown world for me; it gave mea chance to broaden my horizons. The third was when I was
promoted to executive director and switched from journalism tosales. At first I was disappointed to move to a different field
than the one I was trained in, but the new position enabled me
to see the company as a whole. At the time I didn’t realize it wasan opportunity or turning point. But I believe that before you
think, “I can’t do it! Why now?” it is important to first give it atry. I think that trying new things can lead to a turning point
in your life. It is my conviction to both help pave the way forother women, and lead a career my child can be proud of.

Executive Director, Sales Promotion
Department at Nishinippon
Shimbun’s Fukuoka headquarters

Ms. Masako KATSUKI

I started working at Nishinippon Shimbun two years after
the Equal Employment Opportunity Law was enacted. I was
the only woman among the other new hires that started thesame time as me and the first to give birth and take parental
leave at the company. I have had three turning points in mycareer. The first was when my child turned three and I moved

2nd Half: Networking Party/Interactive Workshop
role of responsibilities over freedom will become clear.
Utilizing the universal language of data and numbers, wehope to fairly evaluate our employees regardless of matterssuch as the nationality or gender. Approximately 60% of theemployees working with the Yaskawa Group are non-Japanesenationals. We must never forget that the way work is done inJapan, is only one of the many ways there are on a global scale.
As part of Yaskawa Electric’s activities we are working on
a variety of efforts such as having our top executives educate
employees on the significance of promoting diversity,
launching intra-divisional and cross-divisional project teams
from the bottom up, and creating innovation by training adiverse workforce and appropriately assigning personnel. In
2016 Yaskawa Electric’s efforts were recognized when we won
the New Diversity Management Selection 100 Project award.

Keynote Address

Representative Director andPresident of Yaskawa Electric
Corporation

Mr. Hiroshi OGASAWARA
With so many things changing at an unprecedented speed
today, it is essential to respond to globalism, develop newmarkets, and create value. As 70% of Yaskawa Electric’s
business is overseas, we need to actively drive diversity
management to create a diverse workplace—and theempowerment of women is part of this. As diversity progresses
the focus on fairness will surpass that of equality, and theconsidered the question: “What do you need to create theturning point in your life required to find your future career?”
The three guest speakers and moderator from the first half ofthe conference took part as well, and each table discussed
topics such as how to overcome career dilemmas. Many people
actively engaged in thediscussions,
including
women
with
careers,
students thinking about
their future careers, men,and managers.

Interactive Workshop
President of Qualia Inc.

Ms. Masako ARAKANE
A workshop was held facilitated by Ms. Masako Arakane,president of Qualia Inc., a company which promotes diversity
and the empowerment of women. Workshop participants

4

No.81 November 2017

JICA

Knowledge Co-Creation Program:“Gender Mainstreaming Policies for Government Officers 2017” (the First)
KFAW offers training programs twice a year forgovernment officers who are in charge of gendermainstreaming in the central or local governmentsof developing countries. This program iscommissioned by the Kyushu International Center(JICA Kyushu), Japan International Cooperation
Agency.
The first program (Group “A”) in FY 2017 was
conducted from May 31st (Wednesday) to June 30th(Friday) for eight government officers from sevencountries: Bhutan, Fiji, Ghana, Kosovo, Laos,
Myanmar and Palestine.
The program consists of lectures, workshops,
observations and presentations and helps theparticipants gain a comprehensive understanding
Participants with Mr. NINOMIYA, the Vice Presidof the concepts, methods and theories related toent, (right in the backMrs. TAMURA, Profesrow) andsor (left in the back row), of The University ofgender mainstreaming.
Kitakyushu
During the one-month training period, an exchange
program with the residents of Kitakyushu City is organized
Another female student said that girls were not allowed to join
for the participants to deepen their understanding of athe baseball club in junior high school. An active discussion
different culture and share gender issues. This time, thealso took place on the issue that some parents in Japan do notparticipants visited The University of Kitakyushu andwant male nursery teachers to help girls to change theirenjoyed the program with the students.
clothes or use the bathroom at nursery schools.
After arriving at the university, the participants wereSome students expressed appreciation for the efforts ofinvited by Mr. Masato Ninomiya, the Vice President of theparents who prepare well-balanced meals every day. They
university, to a tea ceremony where they enjoyed the taste ofwere able to understand how much they owed to their parents
matcha (powdered green tea). Next, they paid a courtesy call
only after they had to cook for themselves. In response to this,to Mr. Takashi Matsuo, the President of the university, andthe participant from Kosovo said, “I have two children, a son
were briefed on the features of the university, such as its
and a daughter, but I only ask my daughter to help me with
contribution to the community and promotion of research inhousekeeping. Now I think both boys and girls should be able
the fields of the environment and international exchange. The
to cook when they are independent and have their own family,
participants also asked many questions about the campus andregardless of gender.” Also, a Bhutanese participant responded
the number of foreign students. Then they had a discussion
to a student who has a part-time job, saying “Students rarely
with the students at the university.
have part-time jobs in Bhutan. They are only exposed to realAt the beginning of the discussion, some students sharedsociety after getting a job. Japanese students are able totheir experiences with gender issues at elementary and junioracquire social experiences earlier than Bhutanese students
high schools. They also talked about their first experience ofthrough part-time jobs.”
living alone away from home and cooking for themselves and
The exchange of opinions and ideas with Japanese
their future dreams from a gender perspective. One of thestudents offered the JICA participants a meaningfulfemale students talked about an experience where she wasopportunity to reflect on their own experiences and gain anonce asked, “Why do you read manga (comics) for boys?” That
understanding of differences in cultures and social systems.
made her think that she might be different from other girls.
During the training period, the JICA participants also
visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, a nurseryschool, elementary school, agricultural facility, farmers in
Kitakyushu and many other places.
In this one-month training program, the participants
respected each other and established good relationships byunderstanding the differences of each country, including
Japan. At the end of the training, each participant presented
an action plan to promote gender mainstreaming policies intheir own countries. They said that they would like to makethe best use of the outcomes of the training for their future
Discussions with university students
endeavors.

No.81 November 2017

5

FY2017/2018 KFAW Visiting Researchers and Research Themes
KFAW solicits applicants for the post of visiting researchers from universities and institutes annually, in order to broaden
its research themes and encourage specialists in various fields to conduct research and study on gender and women. These
three groups selected as our visiting researchers this year will conduct research for two years under the following themes:

Study on the Promotion of Women’s
Advancement with the Introduction of
Teleworking

A Study on Early Childhood Education
and Gender in Japan and China:

Yuto IHARA, Visiting Researcher, Advanced Collaborative Research

Kaori ISOBE, Assistant Professor, Office of the Center for Gender andHarumichi YUASA, Deputy President, Professor, Institute ofYifeng HUANG, Full-time lecturer, School of Japanese Studies, Dalian

The Father’s Role in the “Educational Family”

Organization for Smart Society, Waseda University

Women’s Culture in Asia, Nara Women’s University

Information Security

University of Foreign Language

Kiyoshi SHINRIKI, Deputy Director General, Doctor of Engineering,With the advent of the aging/aged society and a declining
birthrate, child-rearing is becoming a unique event andtherefore is taking on further significance in the East Asian
region. China’s one-child policy, which has been in effect for
the last 37 years, has heightened the need for early childhood
education in China (especially in urban areas), resulting in
the emergence of “educational families” that begin educating
their children right from infancy, with all family members
exerting an effort regardless of their gender.
This study will make comparisons of early childhood
education, “educational families” and the roles of “fathers”
between China and Japan by conducting oral surveys in
Dalian and Kitakyushu. Then, based on the results, the study
will further identify the roles that people around fathers (i.e.,teachers and mothers)
expect them to play in“educational families”
thatexemplify
enthusiasm for earlychildhood educationin China, as well as
the principles fathers
have concerning child Awards ceremony at the International Child
Olympiad Brain Power Competition organizedrearing/education.
by Early Childhood Education School

Kyushu International University

Teleworking is garnering attention as an option fordiversifying working styles, since it does not require workers
to commute and allows them to work from home while raisingchildren or caring for the elderly.
This study will clarify, by means of questionnaire and oral
surveys, the needs for teleworking at companies, measurestaken, and the challenges faced in introducing teleworking in
the Kitakyushu area, where a number of enterprises with
Asian capital or affiliated with Asian companies are located.
Employees working outside the office in a teleworking
arrangement, for their part, face certain problems such asdifficulties in distinguishing between on-duty and off-duty
hours, and the risk of intrusion of privacy while their working
conditions are monitored and managed via cameras and otherdevices.
Thus, based on the survey results, this study will shedlight on the vitalization effects by companies on society andpossibilities expected to be brought about by teleworking, andalso make a proposal to expedite the smooth introduction of
teleworking, including measures to supervise employees
without violating their privacy as well as to ensure that
information remains secure.

FY2017 FAW-Commissioned Research Study

Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives in the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Research studies were conducted in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 under
the themes of “Research on Promotion of Women’s Participation andAdvancement in Manufacturing Companies in Kitakyushu” and the“Development of Programs for Facilitating the Promotion of Women’sParticipation and Advancement in Manufacturing Companies in
Kitakyushu”, respectively.
Following these, the research study for FY 2017 is being undertaken on
the following theme:

Yukiko ODA, Researcher, Kitakyushu Institute on Sustainability“Transforming
Our
World: The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development”,
adopted at the United
Nations
Sustainable
Development Summit in2015, lays out goals andtargets that the member The official meeting of the Unitedstates are committed to Nations High-Level Political Forum
implementing by 2030.
Under the principle of “Leave No One Behind”, the Agenda
encompasses 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
across economic, social and environmental areas. Achieving
gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls
constitutes one of the SDGs.
This study will summarize and analyze how countries
around the world are striving to mainstream gender
perspectives using the SDGs as key instruments, focusing on
gender perspectives in the respective goals. To this end, thestudy will examine the reports presented by the member
states at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on
Sustainable Development and other materials.
Further, the study will look more closely at factors
facilitating gender mainstreaming, conducting in-depth
research on states with distinctive features and goodpractices.
Thus, the study is expected to contribute to accelerating
the implementation of SDGs in Kitakyushu as well as inJapan.

Research for Creating a Mother-Friendly
Workplace in Manufacturing Companies

Hidetoshi YOSHIMURA, Professor, Institute for Regional Strategy,
The University of Kitakyushu

Kazuo HAYASHI, Senior Researcher, Kitakyushu Economic ResearchInstitute

This year’s research study will
first investigate the following aspects
through oral surveys conducted with
manufacturing
companiesin
Kitakyushu: the establishment of asystem to accept workers who areraising children, improvement of Female employees atfacilities, awareness raising among a confectionery plant
the employees, and requests to governments, among others.
The research study will also focus on the opinions and interestsof female workers caring for children, identifying good points, badpoints, and points to be improved when working in manufacturingindustries.
Then, the research study will further examine the factors
required to boost women’s participation and advancement in
manufacturing industries through research in other cities where alarge number of female workers are employed in the same
industries.

6

No.81 November 2017

Debriefing on Participation in the 61st Session of the
UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61)
Date: Friday, June 23, 2017, 18:30 - 20:00
Venue: Small Seminar Room, 5th Floor, Kitakyushu Municipal Gender Equality Center, MOVE
Reporters: Ms. Mitsuko HORIUCHI (President of KFAW), Ms. Asuka OKASAKA (Intern for BPW・CSW61)
Participants: 53

Report by Ms. Mitsuko HORIUCHI (President of KFAW)I participated in the 61st session of the Commission on the
Status of Women (CSW61) that took place in New York from13 to 24 March, 2017. This annual gathering saw a total
attendance of approximately 8,600 people, including 89
representatives at the ministerial level from 162 member
states and over 3,900 representatives from 580 NGOs in 138
countries, among others. Along with the plenary sessions, anumber of side events and parallel events took place. Following
its launch last year, the Second Youth Forum was convened
with the participation of about 750 people aged 24 or younger
from around the world, where various issues were discussed
and the outcome was released as the Youth Declaration.
The CSW61 was the first session organized since the newUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres took
office. Mr. Guterres, who possesses a deep understanding ofgender equality and advocates women’s empowerment asdemonstrated by his appointment of women in high-level
positions at the UN, attended this year’s CSW session inperson and held a town hall meeting with NGOs representing
civil society for the first time in CSW history.
The priority theme for CSW61 was “Women’s economic
empowerment in the changing world of work”, and its review
theme was “Challenges and achievements in theimplementation of the Millennium Development Goals for

women and girls”, agreed
conclusions of the fiftyeighth session. In addition
to these themes, thisyear’ssessionalso
examined the focus areaof “The empowerment ofindigenous women.”
Following the opening
ceremony and the remarks by the UN Secretary-General,
addresses were delivered by the representatives of the member
states (general discussions). In the subsequent ministerial
round tables, the following topics were discussed in line withthe priority theme: (1) gender pay gaps in the public andprivate sectors, (2) technology changing the world of work, (3)informal and non-standard work, and (4) full and productive
employment and decent work for all. Then, as outcomes of thisyear’s session, CSW61 reached seven agreed conclusions
including (1) strengthening normative and legal frameworks,(2) strengthening education, training, and skills development,and (3) implementing economic and social policies for women’s
economic empowerment. CSW61 also adopted two resolutions
including one concerning the situation of, and assistance to,Palestinian women.

Participating in the session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
Participation in the
61st session of theCommission on the Status
of Women (CSW61) gaveme my first opportunity toponder gender equality
from a global perspectiveintheinternational
arena. Of the various
CSW-related events I
attended,theone
Ms. Asuka OKASAKA(Intern for BPW・CSW61,
organized by the Mission
Senior, Fukuoka Women’s University)of Iceland and UN
Women’s HeforShe Initiative left the greatest impression on
me. This event introduced an actual method adopted in
Iceland for providing men with a platform to learn about andshare experiences for gender equality. This innovative
approach to change discourse among men on gender equality
seems to have been derived from Iceland’s national
consciousness as the highest-ranked country in the World
Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report and its sense of
responsibility to spearhead global efforts towards genderequality and women’s empowerment. During this year’s
session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of

No.81 November 2017

Women, which took place at the United Nations Headquarters,
I gained a fair amount of first-hand experience to see whatroles and responsibilities each member state is expected tofulfill in the international community.
In this context, what role is Japan expected to play? Japan
still lags far behind many other countries when it comes togender equality, and has much to learn. However, what I
noticed during CSW61 was the fact that many delegates fromdeveloping countries were enthusiastically participating inthe side events held by Japanese organizations to incorporate
methodologies and approaches demonstrated by Japan into
their activities. Japan, which is counted among the advanced
countries, is seen as an exemplar by many countries, andtherefore can exert a significant influence over the world byaddressing gender issues. This is why Japan should becognizant of its position in the global community and place
itself at the vanguard of international efforts to achieve
gender equality, further committing itself to taking actions.
By participating in this year’s CSW session with a broad,global perspective, I discovered facts and realities that the
Global Gender Gap Report and other data cannot fully reveal.
Thus, I am determined to live up to my responsibilities of
conveying what I learned in CSW61 to as many people aspossible, making full use of this valuable experience.

7

International Understanding Seminar“Lecture on Indonesia; Country of Diversity”
Date: Sunday, August 27, 2017 14:00 – 16:00
Venue: Small Seminar Room, 5th Floor, Kitakyushu Municipal Gender Equality Center, MOVE
Lecturer: Ms. Herpin DWIJAYANTI
Participants: 40

KFAW invited Ms. Dwijayanti, who is originally from Depok City, Indonesia and currently
living in Fukuoka City raising her children, to speak on society, culture, and women’s andmen’s ways of living in Indonesia, sharing her actual experience with us and making
comparisons between Indonesia and Japan.
Indonesia, made up of approximately 17,000 islands, is amultiracial country that is home to people of more than 300
diverse races and ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own
language and distinctive characteristics of skin color, facial
features, religion, education, economy, and regional
development. In fact, one of the things that surprised me themost when I came to Japan was that everyone speaks the samelanguage and has similar face. In such a richly diverse society,Indonesian people speak in Indonesian, the country’s common
language, at school and in other public places, whereas they
speak in the respective languages of their ethnic groups at
home. To cite a familiar example of our society’s diversity, I
have many friends who have faith in Islam, Christianity, andHindu, among other religions. In this way, everyone lives inharmony with others accepting and respecting one another as
seen in the spirit of Indonesia’s national policy, “Unity inDiversity”.
In Indonesia, religions are integrated into people’s
everyday life. Muslims, who account for 87% of Indonesia’s
population, are leading lives based on Islamic values. They
perform prayers five times a day to purify their hearts andbodies, and mosques are even attached to department stores,
train stations, and companies.
The teachings of Islam attach great importance to caring
about neighbors and the elderly. In the community I lived thatcomprised of about 40 households, everyone knew each andevery resident’s name and occupation, and came over to help
out any neighbor in need.

Also, marriage is one of the good deeds recommended inIslamic teachings, and families are placed at the center ofpeople’s lives in Indonesia. Both fathers and mothers have theirrespective roles to fulfill in the family: supporting family
members as the household leader, and raising children andnurturing their faith in Allah. As seen in the statement “YourHeaven lies under the feet of your mother” in Islamic teachings,
children are encouraged to pay respect and show gratitude totheir parents. Incidentally, I am now living with my husband
raising three children. And he still keeps transferring money toher mother, which is not a special practice in Indonesian society.
Indonesian women are provided with equal opportunities
with men in educational, legal, and political spheres, enabling
their active participation in the workforce as teachers, doctors,
company employees, business persons, bureaucrats, and police
officers, among others. As for childcare, those called homeassistants such as maids and babysitters take care of children
while their mothers are at work. Most households in Indonesia
employ home assistants, and a growing number of working
mothers are using day-care centers for children. On top of this,their parents living nearby give them a helping hand.
With these supports and high academic backgrounds,
women are increasingly advancing into executive positions
such as managers and CEOs. Furthermore, women in top
positions are also becoming conspicuous these days, as
exemplified by Tri Rismaharini (popularly known as Ms.
Risma), the current mayor of Surabaya, and Susi Pudjiastuti,
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

The 27th KFAW Foreign Correspondents Kick-off Activities！
In 1991, KFAW established a foreign correspondents system to broadly network with people overseas, particularly in the
Asia-Pacific region. Past and present foreign correspondents are 298 people in 41 countries in total. This year, 6 persons from
5 countries are selected and work as KFAW foreign correspondents. Through this network, KFAW will keep providing up-todate information from various parts of the world. The profiles of the correspondents and their reports are available at the KFAW
website (http://www.kfaw.or.jp/correspondents/index.html.en).

Sri Lanka

Mr. Nishan
WIJETUNGE

Architect,
Honorary Research
Fellow, University ofLiverpool, U.K.

Philippines

Ms. Arisa JUNIO
Pursuing her master
degree at International
Institute of Social
Studies, Netherlands

UgandaMs. Hadijah
NAKIMWERO

Assistant Lecturer in thefaculty of Arts andSocial Science, The
Islamic University

Nepal

Indonesia

Indonesia

Yoga trainer andFacilitator, ACE School

Pursuing her master
degree at University ofAirlangga, Freelance
WriterGender specialist

Ms. Yojana
POKHAREL

Ms. Astri
HIDAYATI

8

Ms. Marisna
YULIANTI

No.81 November 2017

Pro file

KFAW 27th Foreign Correspondent Report

Women Do Not Just Help, They
Do: Lesson Learned from Women
Cocoa Farmers in Indonesia

I am currently working as a gender specialist to support the Green
Prosperity project of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), Indonesia.
My work mainly focuses on integrating gender issues into low carbon
development initiatives by improving agricultural productivity and household
livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices and natural resource
management as well as reducing reliance on fossil fuels by developing newrenewable energy sources. Aside from my work on women's empowerment
and gender mainstreaming, I am also an avid promoter of alternative
masculinity and currently a contributor and volunteer at Aliansi Laki-Laki
Baru (New Men Alliance), a movement to raise awareness on non-violent
and equitable concept of masculinity in Indonesia.

Ms. Marisna YULIANTI (Indonesia)

Gender equality highly values equal participation andinvolvement of women and men in all different spheres of life.
Women and men need to be involved in all stages ofdevelopment from planning to implementation in order forthem to be able to equally control and benefit from thedevelopment. The UN makes it clear that gender equality is
about the availability of equal access and opportunities toboth women and men; it is not only a fundamental humanright, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous
and sustainable world2 . Being a group in the society that isoften left behind and marginalized, women and girls are mostof the time targeted as the primary focus. Empowering womenand encouraging them to be more involved are believed tobring us closer to gender equality. Many policies and programs
have started to set women’s minimum participation rate at
30% in various domains, from political representation inparliaments to women’s attendance in training and even in asmall discussion of cocoa farmers in one hot Thursday
afternoon. But what does it really mean to be present, or toparticipate? Has it really been contributing to women gaining
more access to opportunities and control over resources?
After that encounter with the group of farmers, we
continued to meet with women farmer groups3. These farmers
have been receiving assistance and capacity building trainings
from an international organization to improve the production
and quality of their cocoa beans4. The women were, in majority,
the wives of the men farmers. A few of them were helping theirfathers manage their cocoa gardens. Being in a women-only
environment where they feel more secure and comfortable, thewomen we met were more vibrant and full of energy. They
shared their stories on how they are now more knowledgeable
about cocoa and how the household income has doubled

because of the good quality beans they produced. The families
can even save money on hiring additional help because now
women are more than capable to manage their cocoa gardens.
Changes are also happening in the relationship between
women and men in the family in which women are now
consulted by their husbands in making decisions about theircocoa gardens and there are more discussions happening
between the two than before.
These changes were surprisingly beyond expectationconsidering that women were only expected to join the training
sessions when they had time as proxies for their husbands orfathers, and were mostly seen as helpers in the gardens. Thisin turn would affect the way women were treated in thesessions where the facilitators would often center their focus
only on the men farmers as heads of households and sole
guardians of the land and gardens, leaving women largely inthe back rows as second class farmers. The stereotyping has
also proved to affect the way women view themselves. The
documented data on daily time use and gendered division oflabor in agricultural activities demonstrates women’s fairly
large share of the workload in the farms; however, when asked
who contributed to the farms, women would immediately say
it’s their husbands. “I just help” is the phrase these womencommonly use to describe their roles.
The issue of lack of acknowledgment of women’s roles andcontributions in agriculture, economy and other prominent
development sectors has in fact never been fully resolved.
Indonesia’s related laws and regulations are still gender-blindand some even biased. To cite an example, Marriage Law No.
1/1974 still specifies men as the head of household and main
provider for the family while women as a housewife. In fact,
women make up 23% of total farmers in the agricultural
sector (BPS 5, 2013), and 55.04% of women of reproductive age
take part in the Indonesian labor force 6. The figures show thatwomen are evidently there; however, the acknowledgment of
women’s presence may not be. No matter how hardworking
women farmers are in managing their farms and plantations,they would only be seen as additional help. No matter how
much contribution women make to the household economy,
their share of income would only be seen as additional cash7.
Women’s tireless efforts to defy gender stereotypes are often
met with dead ends, with many of them being still required tofulfill their role as the carer of the household, prioritizing overanything else. As a result, women’s contribution as thefamily’s provider and active agent of economic transformation
has never been fully acknowledged.

1 ‘Pak’ is the short of ‘Bapak’; a term Indonesians use to address adult men.
2 Taken from http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/
3 The trip was part of the author’s field visit to one of the locations of sustainableagriculture projects in Indonesia that she is currently working on.
4 To know more please see: http://www.swisscontact.org/en/country/
indonesia/projects/projects-indonesia/project/-/show/sustainablecocoa-production-program-scpp.html

5 B adan Pusat Statistik (Indonesia National Statistics Office)6 A
 s quoted by the Minister of Manpower of Indonesia in http://bisnis.
liputan6.com/read/2952105/menaker-kontribusi-perempuan-dalamekonomi-terus-meningkat
7 T his is documented in the author’s previous study on women’s business inIndonesia in http://www.mca-indonesia.go.id/en/publications/publication_
types/crosscutting_activities_publication/study_on_the_development_
of_a_formal_definition_of_women-owned_business_in_indonesia-721

It was a hot Thursday afternoon. Among the greens ofcocoa trees, a group of women and men farmers gatheredaround listening attentively to a talk about soil pH and pest
control. “So now you know how to calculate soil pH and theeffect it might give to your cocoa trees, right? Are there any
questions, Pak1?” the lady facilitator asked. A man raised his
hand, which started a discussion on the importance ofcontrolling soil pH for the trees to produce good quality cocoa
beans. Throughout the process, the women farmers were quiet
and did not say much. They sat quietly in the back rows,
overshadowed by the men. Is it because they were outnumberedby the men, or a sense of out of place was starting to take its
tolls on them, is a question yet to be answered.

No.81 November 20179

If there’s one thing we can learn here, it is the undeniable
fact that when women take part in and actively contribute,
positive changes happen. The government and society at large
need to acknowledge this by giving more space for women to
improve the magnitude of their presence. Programs need to
track not only women’s rate of participation with series ofnumbers and figures, but also qualitatively document women’scontribution and roles in discussions and making constructive
changes. Efforts need to be made to encourage women toparticipate more, from acknowledging their presence inmeetings, arranging women-only training sessions, to holding
activities that suit their time and availability. This way,
women would feel their participation is not only required but

also necessary. Intime, hopefully the
women
cocoa
farmers will finallyhave the confidence
to sit in the frontrows, and raise
their hands with
Women cocoa farmers voicing up theirpride. They willconcerns in a discussion session.
have the courage tosay out loud, “We don’t just help; we do contribute and therefore
deserve acknowledgment”.

Pro file

KFAW 27th Foreign Correspondent Report

Family Background, Menstrual
Hygiene Management and Girls’
Education in Uganda

I have been coordinating the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, theIslamic University, the only female-only university in Uganda, since 2010.
I have also offered leadership to a women’s organization called Uganda
Muslim Women Vision, with a mission is to empower women andchildren for active participation in the development process of thecountry. I have steered the organization to build the Women’s Centre for
Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Training, Gender-Based Violence,
and Peace and Security. It also serves as a vocational and skills training
institute for girls and women. Currently, I am pursuing PhD studies insustainable rural development at Ahfad University for Women in Sudan.

Ms. Hadijah NAKIMWERO (Uganda)

Uganda has for a long time since 2007 provided universal
This makes it hard for the menstruating girls to use theprimary and secondary education, which was madelatrines, compelling them to decide to take leave whenevercompulsory for all learners of school-going age, in all parts ofthey are menstruating. Many schools lack water sources
the country. The introduction of the 17 Sustainable
within the premises in addition to the lack of hand washing
Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainablefacilities.
Development, where education was made a stand-alone goal in
The problems concerning the menstrual hygiene
Goal 4, was welcomed by all actors in the society right frommanagement are worsened by the lack of parental support due
the government to local communities. The government has for
to cultural beliefs, where parents cannot freely talk about
a long time provided tuition requirements for all boys andmenstruation as it is considered a taboo. Poverty too has led togirls in both primary and secondary schools in the Universal
inaccessibility to sanitary pads, thus girls end up using
Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education
unhygienic materials or prefer to stay at home to avoid(USE) schools, in addition to the provision of facilities,
embarrassment as their clothes may be soaked with menstrual
scholastic materials like text books and the payment of staff
blood. The challenge of being mocked by boys too makes girls
salaries.
miss school. Many boys laugh at the girls, who consequently
However much education has its own goal, the target offeel uncomfortable about attending school.
ensuring that all girls and boys complete free and equitable
In order to address the situation, both government andquality primary and secondary education resulting in relevant
non-government actors have undertaken measures to increaseand effective learning outcomes may not be achieved inawareness about the menstrual hygiene management among
Uganda. This is especially true for not only rural areas but
all stakeholders including the girls themselves, the boys,
also for girls, particularly the adolescent girls who are facing
parents, school managers, religious leaders, and local
the challenge of menstrual hygiene management.
communities. The president of Uganda has been committed to
In rural areas, it is believed that education “has gone toimproving the menstrual hygiene management through thethe dogs.” All the necessities for the provision of quality
provision of facilities to the Universal Education schools andeducation have always remained insufficient. One finds
the offering of sanitary pads to the adolescent girls in order toschools with one or two classroom blocks, and the bulk ofstay in school and attain quality education and lifelong
pupils studying under trees. Many rural schools lack teachers
learning.
because no teachers wish to serve in such schools, where thesmall salaries provided by thegovernment are never supplemented
with parental contributions. Suchschools offer neither accommodations
nor transport facilities to teachers.
The situation is made worse for the
girls. In many of these schools there are
not enough latrines and where they arepresent, they are greatly dilapidated.
The latrines are shared between the
Pupils of a primary school showcasing the reusable pads and carrying bags they have madeboys and girls, and there is no privacy.
themselves.

10

No.81 November 2017

ISSN 0918-8266

Dream Sketch―Let’s Find Your Own
 Dream for the Future―

ISSN 0918-8266

Date: Saturday, July 8, and Saturday, August 19, 2017, 16:00-18:15 (Twice in total)
Venue: Kitakyushu Youth Station
Planning and management: Students of Prof. Manabe’s Seminar in the School of Regional
Development, the University of Kitakyushu
ISSN 0918-8266
Participants: 55 high school students (selected from among applicants solicited from the public)

ISSN 0918-8266

Since last fiscal year, KFAW has been organizing a career development seminar for high school
students in cooperation with Yahatanishi General Lifelong Learning Center. This year, in partnershipwith the University of Kitakyushu and Kitakyushu Youth Station, the university and high school students
participating in the seminar took time out to discuss their dreams for the future together.

First workshop (Saturday, July 8)◦Let’s get to know each other by playing games◦Learn about yourself using a self-analysis
worksheet◦Map out your “dream plan”

Second workshop (Saturday, August 19)◦Create your idea tree◦Let’s talk about your dreams◦Listen to the role model lecturers

Impressions of Planning and Managing the Dream Sketch Seminar
What dreams did you have in your highschool days? You must have dreamed of enteringa variety of professions you were longing for,such as a pastry chef, beautician, firefighter,police officer, and nurse, among others.
Now, do you know what the most popular
occupation among high school students is? The
answer is a public servant. The reason for that is
Ms. Naoko Ozaki
quite simple: It is a stable job. I am not saying
Junior, School of Regionalthat all high school students are aspiring to
Development, thebecome public servants. Or rather, this survey
University of Kitakyushu
result indicates that more and more students
are becoming stability-oriented in making a career choice, instead ofattaching importance to their career aspirations. Given this situation,
we organized a workshop for high school students to offer them an
opportunity to think about their dream jobs, assuming that the students
aged 16 to 17 are yet to have a clear picture of their future.
There were various types of students among the participants;
namely, students who had fascinating dreams, students who were stillsearching for their dreams, and students who already had dreams but
were too shy to talk about them with others. As for myself, I was unable
to find a dream job when I was a high school student, and entered theuniversity without solid future prospects as I was hoping to find one
while studying at the university. This motivated me to hold this seminar
to encourage high school students to start designing their own futureand striving to achieve it now.
This year’s workshop was comprised of two days. On the first day,the participants were instructed to visualize their future and write
down what they would like to accomplish in the future as many as
possible: for instance, getting married to a wonderful person at the ageof 27, and traveling the world at 60. On the second day, we invited guest
lecturers to share their stories with us as role models who have moreexperience in life than us, about such subjects as their present
occupations, what motivated them to enter the professions, and theircurrent dreams, among others. Inspired by the lecturers’ talk, somestudents walked up to them to ask for advice after the program ended.
In organizing this workshop, I struggled a lot to come up withmeasures to encourage the high school students to find their dreams, aswell as to open their mind to us and talk about their future visions.
Finally, we would be more than happy if the high school students
participated in the workshop could find this experience helpful inshaping their lives, and benefit from talking about their ambitions forthe future with us who are very close to them. Thank you so much.

Session of the Guest Speaker’s Talk
In my high school days, I was fully engaged
When I was a child, my father was veryin what I found amusing, such as studies, clubstrict and abused me. I would not be allowed toactivities, playing in a rock band, and part-time
go outside the house except in the case of going
work, without any particular goals. When I was ato school. Naturally, I had no friends. The only
senior in high school, I encountered with a bookperson who gave me the sense of security wasentitled “How the Other Half Dies: Real Reasons
my teacher.
for World Hunger” by Susan George, which
After becoming an adult, I gave birth to a
motivated me to pursue a profession thatchild and got divorced. One day, exhausted from
Mr. Hiromichi HARA
Ms. Miho SUGIHARA
Human ResourceCEO,
contributes to creating a world free from hunger
caring for my child, I went to an aromatherapy
Department and Institute
Azulaile Inc.
as my goal in life. In the summer of that year, I
salon to relieve my fatigue. While getting a
Preparation Officestarted preparing for the entrance examination
massage, the therapist said to me, “This job must
Takagi Co., Ltd.
and successfully entered the agricultural
be well-suited to you, Ms. Sugihara.” It all started from this simple
department at the university of my first choice. However, once I became asentence. I would not mind studying to become a therapist, and would feel
university student, I lost my enthusiasm for the goal, thinking “What I
comfortable working in the healing space. Besides, I have developed healthcan accomplish by myself is extremely limited; therefore I do not have toconsciousness since my childhood because I had to go to hospital very often
work so hard.” One day, when I was a junior, one of my seniors and a
for asthma treatment. Therefore, I opted to study medical aromatherapy,
professor told me, “Although what each individual can do may be small,not the one for healing. Each person has different timing of nurturing andhowever, the present society is made up of the accumulation of those small
pursuing a dream. It would be no use jumping to a hasty decision that isthings. If small contribution is not made by each and every one of us,
not like you. There is no need to rush. Just wait for the right moment, andnothing will come out of it.” This comment shocked me a lot and made me
devote yourself to a genuine aspiration when you find one.
realize that I had been taking my life lightly.
One of my dreams is to have wisdom for keeping good health andFrom that moment on, I studied frantically and decided to pursue a
preventing diseases incorporated into the curriculum of compulsory
new path in the field of environmental engineering at the graduate school
education. And the other dream is to speak to younger generations andof a different university. This experience made me aware of the importanceinspire them to sketch their dreams. You have only one life to live.
of working on something with a clear goal and a dream. My dream is to
Therefore, I would like you all to take a challenge and pursue your dreams.
eliminate hunger from the world. Though there are various approaches to
As a useful instrument, I would recommend a “future timeline”. If you
achieve this goal, what I genuinely want to devote myself to is in theaspire to entering a certain profession that requires specific skills, study
sphere of water management. The problem shared by nations with low
hard to attain them. Design a financial plan, make a timely start, and set
rates of life expectancy is related to dirty water. Thus, improving watera time limit. You will definitely be able to make your dream happen, as
qualitylong
as you havea strong
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No.81 November 2017
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