Women Today
Amid Hardships:
Thailand Attempts to Raise theStatus of Women

Founder of the Duang Prateep Foundation

Prateep UNGSONGTHAM HATA

Although the 21st century began 14 years ago, I feelthat genuine gender equality, world-wide, is still very
far from reality. Discrimination exists in society, basedon class, hierarchy, and skin color. However, I’m
confident that nothing is more important than forpeople to recognize each other’s differences and good
points, to acquire cooperativeness, and to respect the
dignity of other people regardless of gender, generation,and cultural differences. Recently, there have been
many media reports from various countries regarding
violations of human rights. In many cases, goodtraditions are abused by persons in power, or parents
kill their babies immediately after learning theirgender. In addition, based on customs requiring girls toengage in household chores and child-raising, someparents deprive their daughters of opportunities to go toschool and allow only their sons to receive education.
This, of course, means that women lose opportunities toadvance in society. At the same time, many women are
killed by their husbands and sons in domestic violence.
In Thailand, 82 years have passed since theConstitutional Revolution in 1932. In 2011, as the resultof a general election, Ms. Yingluck SHIBAWATRA
assumed office as the country’s 28th prime minister. As
the country’s first female prime minister, however, sheis experiencing extreme gender discrimination, invarious forms. Under such circumstances, few womenin Thailand aim to become politicians, and women face
many obstacles.
As indicated by the expression “Laws established byan influential person are beneficial for those belonging
to that person’s community,” it is not unusual in
Thailand for the gender of influential persons to affectthe country’s administration and politics. In 2012, theyear after she was inaugurated, Prime Minister
Yingluck launched Thai Women Empowerment Funds(to support activities improving women’s status in
Thailand) as a measure to tackle women’s issues bypromoting women’s employment and increasing theirincome. Funding totaling 7.7 billion baht financesvarious efforts to support Thai women, including lowinterest loans and subsidies. Groups consisting of five or
more women can submit a project application for
discussion and if it is approved, they can go ahead withthe project.
The key management members for Thai Women
Empowerment Funds are elected from across thecountry. In the capital, Bangkok, a total of 17 members
have been elected and I myself am a chairperson. We
have received project applications from 50 districts in
Bangkok, and the amount of subsidies provided has so

No.71 June 2014

far reached 130 million baht. The subsidy provided foreach project is up to 200,000 baht, creating a very good
opportunity for housewives and other women in slums
to change their situations. Previously, it was impossible
for poor women with few assets to borrow money frombanks, making some of them borrow money from the
Mafia (usurious lending) at an annual interest rate of
24% (monthly rate of 2%). The annual interest rate forThai Women Empowerment Funds is 3%, and thesefunds have enabled housewives in slums to transformtheir position from employees to employers.
The 130 million baht already provided has improved
the lives of some two to three million women in Bangkok.
It can be said that this is like creating an oasis in adesert. However, regrettably, this subsidy funding for
women has not yet been approved officially by thenational assembly. Since last year, Thailand has been
politically unstable. Although Prime Minister Yingluck
has announced the dissolution of the national assembly,
there is no likelihood yet of the political confusion being
settled.
The Duang Prateep Foundation will continue toadvocate for the rights of women and other people indifficult situations and to promote a wide variety ofefforts, in cooperation with various organizations. No
matter where they live on this planet, human beings areequal. To eliminate gender and racial discriminations,and to ensure that the lives of elderly people and othersin vulnerable positions and difficult situations improvestep by step, we strongly hope to walk and live together
with you all.

Profile of Prateep UNGSONGTHAM HATA
She was born in Khlong Toei, a slum in Bangkok.
Recognized for her various efforts, such as the operation of
the Baht a Day School (1968-1975) for children from poorfamilies in slums, in 1978, she received the Ramon
Magsaysay Award (for Public Service). In the same year,
using the award reward, she founded the Duang Prateep
Foundation and became the organization’s Secretary
General. She still holds this position.
In 1980, she also received the John D Rockefeller III
Youth Award (Rockefeller Foundation), and with the prize
money she established the Foundation for Slum Child Care.
In 2000, she was elected to the Senate, and until 2006 she
was engaged in the national administration, developing
political measures to support socially vulnerable people. In
addition, she is currently the Chairperson of the Coordinating
Committee for Slum Development. She holds a diploma in
education from Suan Dusit Teachers College, Bangkok(1976).
＊This article was written in March, 20141

Special
Contribution

Message to Women in Japan: Let us work together for
gender equality in Asia
Ms. Kristi POERWANDARI（Head of the Graduate Program in Women’s Studies, Universitas Indonesia）

as well as the recent tendency of ‘morality discourse’
which restricts the freedom and might reduce the roles ofwomen in the public arena and on the state decision
making levels.
However, men have similar aspiration for respectfulpartnerships between women and men in a gender equal
society. Therefore, it is our hope that we can consistently
enhance our cooperation in works of gender study, and at
the same time strengthen all the institutions involved.
A new hope is now with the new head of theInterdisciplinary School at Universitas Indonesia, Dr.
Sulistyowati IRIANTO. She is one of our gender equality
advocates and has very visionary thoughts about
interdisciplinary works as well as international networking.
Therefore, we will be very determined to fight for theadvancement of gender studies in Indonesia and in Asia.
From this standpoint, we look forward to enhancing
our cooperation with women in Japan in disclosing (1) thecontinuing existence of gender discrimination and gender
gaps in our society; (2) the widespread negative impacts ofsuch discrimination and gender gaps on all of us womenand men, girls and boys; and (3) the positive impacts ofgender equality and justice on all members of society. Also
we will place same importance on developing possible
strategies to eliminate discrimination through thebuilding of expertise in gender analysis, gender-responsive
policy formulation, budgeting and implementation, as wellas its monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Let us work
together for gender equality in Asia!

I have been actively involved in women’s issues since
1990, when I was one of the first batch of students in the
Gender Studies Graduate Program at Universitas
Indonesia, Jakarta. With the support of some funding, atthe beginning of the study program, we – as a very small
study program – had the opportunity to participate insome of the international women’s events in the world tolearn about women’s issues worldwide.
Even so, the program faces challenges in strengthening
its institutional status within the university. As theuniversity underlines the policy of higher education inIndonesia, which tends to perceive women’s studies as
having no significant ‘academic’ value, the program needs
to address various issues. Meanwhile, the university
partly evaluates the program as to whether it is importantfrom the viewpoint of its investment.
When our institution joined the Asian linkage forwomen’s studies initiated by Ewha Woman’s University in
Korea, I begun to realize that – rather than wandering
around in the global world with no clear focus – it would
be better to deepen our understanding about ourselves,
women and the gender construction in Asia. With thisperspective, women in Asia can mutually reinforce
themselves to construct knowledge and the new civilization
with respectful partnerships between women and men,
and among the countries and people in Asia. The linkage
initiated by Ewha Woman’s University is now transforming
into the Asian Association of Women’s Studies, with 540
members from 35 countries.
We might have different issues to work on in eachcountry. Perhaps women in Japan still face challenges toensure their active roles in the public arena and in the
public decision making. This would be due to its working
culture in which men and women are expected to work
until very late at night, while at the same time, womenare still expected to take care of the family. It is thenalmost impossible for women to commit themselves fully
to their careers, unless they choose to remain unmarried.
In Indonesia we face different issues such as poverty
and challenges to good governance, both of which are
implicated in lowering the quality of life of women. We
still have high maternal mortality rates, gender-based
violence in different forms, multiple burdens for women,

ProfileKristi POERWANDARI

Lecturer in the Faculty of Psychology,
Universitas Indonesia. Head of the Graduate
Program in Women’s Studies at the same
university. One of the founders and board
members of PULIH Foundation (Center for
Psychosocial Intervention of Trauma.)
She is interested in prevention and intervention of genderbased violence and human violence in general, care forcaregivers, capacity building for humanitarian workers, andempowerment of poor community. She is also concerned
about ensuring gender justice and mainstreaming
psychology in the legal paradigm and processes.

KFAW Consulate Series Part 3 “Vietnamese Historical Culture and Families”■Date & Time: November 27, 2013, 15:00−16:30■Number of Participants: 66■Lecturers: Bui Quoc THANH (Consul-General of the Consulate-General of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Fukuoka)
Nguyen Viet DUC (Vice Consul-General of the Consulate-General of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Fukuoka)

and also with Kitakyushu City. Vice
Consul-General DUC subsequently
spoke about Vietnamese historicalculture.
As seminar guests, members ofthe Hanoi Women’s Federation
Members of the Hanoi
Women’s Federation
participated in the seminar in ao dai,
traditional Vietnamese costume. Despite the rain, the event
attracted many citizens, and an active Q&A session was held.

In the third round of the KFAW
Consulate Series, seminars delivered byconsuls of consulates located in Fukuoka,
we invited the Consul-General and theVice Consul-General from the ConsulateGeneral of the Socialist Republic of Viet
Nam in Fukuoka.
Consul-General
Consul-General THANH first talked Thanh (right) and Viceabout Vietnamese relations with Japan, Consul-General Duc

2

No.71 June 2014

KFAW Study Tour“Learn International Cooperation in the Philippines”
From February 23 to March 2, 2014, we held a study
tour under the theme of “Learn International Cooperationin the Philippines,” with the focus on the country’s poverty,
gender problems, and international cooperation. We had
publicized this tour mainly in Kitakyushu, eventuallyattracting 13 participants. Although they were all different
in terms of age, gender, and occupation, we feel that they
were able to learn a lot from the tour.
The following is a report written by Ms. Mayumi IWAO,
one of the participants.

< Schedule >February 23: Departure from Fukuoka and arrival in Manila
February 24: Visit to the PREDA Foundation
February 25:	Visit to the indigenous Aeta MAO Communityand homestay
February 26: Feeding volunteer at the MAO Community
February 27: Visit to a fair trade group	
Visit to the Women and Gender Institute,
Miriam College
February 28	Visit to the Crisis Center for Violence against
Women and Children, National Bureau of
Investigation
Visit to slum area in Navotas
March 1:
Visit to DAWN
March 2:
Departure from Manila and arrival in Fukuoka

Report on the KFAW Study TourMs. Mayumi IWAOPREDA Foundation
After arriving in thePhilippines,
weleft
Manila and headed to the
PREDA Foundation, an
NGO in Olongapo City. It
took us three hours to getthere by bus. Then, werode a small bus called aHome for Boys
jeepney, the popular
public transportation in the country, and travelled to Home
for Boys run by the foundation. The bumpy ride made me
feel as if I had been riding a horse-drawn carriage.
Social workers from the PREDA Foundation help
children get released from a prison and give them supportand education at Home for Boys. Most of these children werevictims of cruel treatment such as sexual exploitation, orabuse/neglect by their parents. They had no choice but tosimply become street children and steal food or money inorder to survive. They ended up in jail, where they wereabused by other inmates since these places are not made forkids but for adults. We need to realize these children are notperpetrators but victims of distorted social structures.
After an orientation, the staff showed us some rooms
where boys were actually taking support programs. We first
visited the Yellow Room, whose walls were covered with soft
material. In this room, the boys can freely express their
feelings such as anger, sorrow, and pain−the emotions thatthey cannot show anywhere else−while punching andkicking the walls. I thought this practice would help themfeel better and learn how to control their emotions. Thissight put me into deep thoughts. These boys live together inthis friendly and open facility. They exchange jokes and lookjust like real brothers. After an exchange party with theboys, they showed me lots of animals and vegetables they
were looking after. I hope that there will be a bright future
for these boys.
Next, we paid a visit to Home for Girls, another facility
run by the foundation. We received warm welcome from thestaff and girls under the care of the foundation, and watcheda play adapted from these girls’ grueling past experiences. I
could not put into words what I felt then, and wondered if itwould be really all right for these young girls to watch such

No.71 June 2014a realistic play drawn from their horrific and painful
experiences of becoming victims of abuse and humantrafficking committed by their own parents and relatives. It
must be unbearable for anyone to face such a past. All
children should feel loved by their parents or people aroundthem. However, here in Japan as well, many children do not
feel loved by their abusive parents. This issue is not justlimited to the Philippines but applies in most societies in theworld. Receiving necessary support and programs provided
by the PREDA Foundation, the boys and the girls become
strong enough to squarely face their past and learn how tocontrol their emotions. Then, they can look toward thefuture.
Indigenous Aeta MAO community
The next morning, werode a jeepney again andheaded to a local market.
We bought vegetables,
chicken, drinks, rice,snacks and more. Thesefoods were for us and ourhost families. Yes, we
MAO Community
were going to stayovernight with Aeta families! It sounds so exciting, doesn’t
it? We arrived in the MAO Community in the afternoon andhad a session about the MAO Community. Then, we
introduced ourselves. I said, “Ako si Mayumi“ in Tagalog. I
should have learned a bit more of the Tagalog language. I
had a chance to talk to some of the host families, and at thispoint, I did not know who would be my host family yet. I
found a lovely girl. She was very shy at first, but she held myhand after a minute. Later on, I came to realize that she
would be my host sister. Lucky me! Her name was Cecil, andshe was three years old. There were another two little kids
in my host family and they were all so cute.
At last, we were introduced to each family, and that was
one of the most exciting moments in this trip. One of my hostsisters Paula, also aged three, came to call me. The family
told me to rest first in a bamboo bunk bed. But as soon as I

3

left my bag there, I decided to have more communication
with my family. Somehow, the kids were very curious about
me and peeking at me from the lower bunk. And when I
went downstairs, my host brother Edmond was preparing
dinner. He was really a good cook. My host mother Lita
showed me around the kitchen. She spoke her local language,
and her two daughters Monette and Claudia explained whatmother had said in English for me. I heard that most people
did not speak English in the MAO Community, but I was
lucky to have my two high school sisters who spoke English
so well−actually they spoke much better than me! Then they
took me outside to show their newborn puppies, garden,
vegetable field, pigs, pets, and pump well. After that, we had
a good chat over a cup of coffee, and enjoyed watching TV.
Although I did not understand any Tagalog on the TV shows,it was fun to watch it anyway. And it was a great feeling justbeing with my host family and their friends at home. Timewas passing so slowly with such lovely people and I reallyenjoyed every moment of it. In Japan, people seem too busy
to spend time with their families. I prefer how time passes
in the Philippines to that in Japan. We had dinner preparedby my host brother Edmond, and everything was wonderful.
We had rice, two kinds of chicken dishes, cooked vegetables,
traditional Filipino soup, mango fruit and a glass of mango
juice. Claudia told me that traditionally they eat with theirhands instead of using a fork and spoon. I tried to do so, but
it wasn’t easy to pick up rice since Filipino rice wasn’t as
sticky as the Japanese one. The next morning, I tried to eat
fried fish with my hands and did it very well, I suppose.
At 8 p.m., we gathered together at the center of the MAO
Community and enjoyed a big party night. Although thecommunity had electricity, it was pitch-dark outside as
there was no neon lighting. We walked to the party venue
with a flash light under a night sky full of twinkling stars.
They showed us their traditional bamboo dance, and kidssang some songs for us. I was so impressed. In return, wesang the “Sukiyaki Song”. These cultural exchanges truly
strengthened our bonds.
Fair trade organization
On February 27th, we
visited the SAFRUDI(Social Action Foundation
for Rural and Urban
Development, Inc.) and
SAFFY (Social Action for
Filipino Youth) for fairtrade. We were lucky tomeet some leaders of Orientation on fair trade at SAFRUDI
producers from different communities. These groups were
established to eliminate one-sided exploitation of developing
countries by advanced countries and facilitate fair trade.
The move first started in Europe in the 1960s, and is now
expanding worldwide with the U.S., Australia, Canada andJapan as major advocates. Some organizations in Japan are
earnestly engaged in promoting fair trade. After receiving
an orientation, we visited a store called Mano Mano to see
fair trade commodities actually marketed in advanced
counties. I bought a lot of banana chips and stationery forsouvenirs.
WAGI at Miriam College
In the afternoon, we went to Miriam College. We
attended a lecture on women’s studies at WAGI (Women and

Gender Institute) for three hours. The lecture was mainly
about gender issues. Japan is far behind when it comes tothe empowerment of women. I remember that every time thegender discrimination was mentioned, it was Japan thatstudents cited as a bad example when I was an international
student at the University of Wollongong, Australia. My
Aussie classmates often said, “There are very few female
politicians in Japan,” “Female employment rate is low,” “It isdifficult for women to return to their full time jobs after
marriage and childbirth,” etc. And to my regret, that is verytrue!
The latest Global Gender Gap Index, a comprehensive
measure of gender equality, places Japan at 105th whereas
the Philippines at fifth, the highest ranking in Asia. Looking
at the situation in terms of gender equality, I think Japan
should learn a lot more from the Philippine society.
Slum area in Navotas CityOn February 28th,
we visited a slum area
in Navotas city, and
were
given
an
opportunity to sell foodat a stall on the street.
How lucky! We sampledsome. It was sticky rice
Slum area in Navotas City
rolled in banana leaf.
Wherever I went, children smiled at me and that made me
quite happy.
Conclusion
I met so many friendly and nice people there, and I misseverything and everyone in the Philippines. I thank all thepeople I met during this study tour and would like to close
this report by introducing what my Filipino friend said 23
years ago—of course, we have been friends ever since andwere reunited during this study tour: “I remember Japanbecause of you.” The Philippines means a lot to me because
I have special friends there. I renewed my determination tokeep myself engaged in this country.
■Opinions and Comments from Other Participants
Even though the study tour lasted only a week, I wasable to obtain standard information on global social
problems. It was a good opportunity for me to start
thinking about international cooperation.
I was able to visit many places that I could not have doneon a private tour. Also, I was able to observe the realityof the Philippines that I would have overlooked on an
ordinary tour.
The tour gave me many opportunities to interact directlywith local children and adults, making me feel thereality of the Philippines. I am happy that local people
welcomed me as a close friend, rather than as just asightseeing visitor from a rich country.

4

No.71 June 2014

World Report‘‘Wave the Magic Wand – In Communities Take Advantage of the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women!”in many fields such as politics, education, and employment,
the relevant newly-established or revised laws were notappropriately practiced due to social environment problems.
Ms. YAMASHITA concluded her lecture by stating that itwas necessary to further introduce the temporary special
measures (ths affirmative action) recommended by the
CEDAW. The future challenge would be to realize a quota
system in the field of politics.
< Mr. Masao KOTSUBO >Mr.
KOTSUBO
explained
thecity’smeasures to promotewomen’s participation insociety. Kitakyushu is thefirst ordinance-designatedcity with the ratio of women
Panelists
in its council exceeding
40%, and now strives to increase the figure to 50% by 2018. The
city’s action plan to promote women’s participation in society is
to enhance women’s presence in the policy-making process,strengthen the development of human resources regardless ofgender, and create an environment where all staff members
enjoy working actively. In addition, to establish the foundation to
help women fully demonstrate their capabilities to the fullest
extent possible, the city has solved the shortage of nurseries, andnow there are no children on the waiting list for admission.
< Ms. Chinatsu KURUME >Ms. KURUME explained measures carried out by the
Fukuoka Prefecture Organization for the Promotion of
Empowerment of Women. This organization strives tofurther promote women’s participation especially in economic
activities, thereby revitalizing the local economy andcreating a future society with vitality. Under the leadershipof the economic circles, the movement involves the industry,
academia, government, and private sectors. With thebackground of the age of comprehensive competition, thedeclining birthrate and aging population, and an insufficientuse of women with high capabilities, the organization tries toimprove an environment to ensure that both men and womencan fully demonstrate their capabilities. Ms. KURUME
indicated that the empowerment of women was not just a
problem of women, but it concerned a reform in how all people
in society, of course including men, should work.
< Ms. Sumiko YAZAWA >Ms. YAZAWA shared her views to practice CEDAW in acommunity. It is important to promote gender equality for men.
It is essential to have various role models of men who alreadyhave connections with communities so as to create anenvironment that attracts more men to be engaged incommunities.
The subsequent discussion and Q&A sessions dealt withmany comments and questions. It was noted that Kitakyushu
citizens’ stereotyped perceptions of gender roles was weakened,
and Some people at the venue indicated that this result hadcome about due to the communities-based efforts by theCouncil of Women’s Groups of Kitakyushu over 30 years.

■Date & Time: March 6, 2014, 14:00−16:00■Number of Participants: 172■Lecturers:
Ms. Ryoko AKAMATSU, President Emeritus of the Japanese
Association of International Women’s Rights (JAIWR),
Chairperson of the Japan Committee for UNICEF
Ms. Yasuko YAMASHITA, President of JAIWR
Mr. Masao KOTSUBO, Executive Director of the Gender
Equality Promotion Department, Child and Domestic
Affairs Bureau, Kitakyushu City Government
Ms. Chinatsu KURUME, Assistant Manager of Administrationand Human Resource Department, Shinryo Corporation
Ms. Sumiko YAZAWA, Managing Director of JAIWRThe Word Report “Wave the Magic Wand – In Communities
Take Advantage of the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women!” took place on
March 6. The seminar focused on the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW). It drew so many people, including people associatedwith women’s organizations in Kitakyushu City that weneeded to arrange additional chairs at the venue.
Keynote Lecture
Ms. Ryoko AKAMATSU talked
about the CEDAW in an easy-tounderstand manner. Based on her
experience of having worked for theestablishment
of
the
Equal
Employment Opportunity Law andthe signature of the CEDAW during
her days as Director General of the
Women’s Bureau of the Labour
Ministry, she disseminated a strong
Ms. Ryoko AKAMATSU
message toward the realization of agender-equal society. With an occasional touch of humor, shestrongly attracted the attention of the audience at the venue.
Panel Discussion< Ms. Yasuko YAMASHITA >Ms. YAMASHITA spoke about the theme “28 Years
since the Ratification of the CEDAW: What Has Changed
and What Has Not Changed.” She said that changes
generated by the ratification included the establishment oramendment of the Nationality Law, the Childcare Leave
Law, the Part-time Work Law, the Basic Law for a Genderequal Society, and the Domestic Violence Law, as well as therevision of the course of study, such as ensuring that bothboy and girl students study home economics at high school.
On the other hand, some aspects remained unchanged forthe past 28 years, especially insufficient improvement ofcivil laws, such as gender differences in minimum marriage
age and waiting period before remarriage again, anddiscrimination against illegitimate children. She also
indicated that many problems remained unsolved even after
the establishment or revision of necessary laws. For example,

No.71 June 20145

24th Seminar on KFAW Research Activities Held
■Date & Time: February 2, 2014, 13:30−15:30■Venue: ICSEAD conference room, 6th floor, Otemachi
Bldg., Kitakyushu CityAt the 24th Seminar on KFAW Research Activities, two
KFAW visiting researchers reported the results of researchbased on a gender perspective, with the focus on Indonesia,
Taiwan , Province of China, and Japan. They also exchanged
various opinions with the seminar audience.
“The Roles of Women in the Recovery of Tsunami - Affected
Coastal Communities: A Comparative Study between the Aceh
Province of Indonesia and the Tohoku Region of Japan”
FY2012/13 KFAW Visiting Researcher
Kazuko TATSUMI, Professor, Faculty of Economics, Fukuoka University“Gender and Various Aspects of Wording about Child Care inModern Taiwan, Province of China”
FY2012/13 KFAW Visiting Researcher
Seiko MIYAZAKI, Associate Professor, International College ofArts and Sciences, Fukuoka Women’s University

Seminar venue

Visit to Korea (Incheon Metropolitan City)
working for the Incheon City Government. In Korea,
there are many such nurseries and other similar
facilities (2,200 facilities in Incheon Metropolitan City).
Thanks to financial support from the national and local
governments, people can use these facilities at a little
expense.
We also visited a support
center for female migrants in
Korea and an employment
support center for women.
On the second day, we
first visited the One Stop
Center, where women victims
Meeting with the Incheonof violence are protected in
Council of Women
cooperation with the policeand hospitals. Next, we visited the Incheon Council of
Women, where we were greeted by the new president, WON
Buhee. According to the president, the council’s visit to
Kitakyushu last year was compiled as a detailed report.
She said that the interaction was very significant and thatthey shared similar views with the people of Kitakyushu.
This visit proved fruitful to confirm that the bothorganizations had a will to continue our good relationship.

An interaction program between KFAW and
Incheon Metropolitan City’s women’s organizations is tobe held in Korea this fiscal year. With the purpose of its
preparation and preliminary survey of visiting
facilities, some staff members of KFAW visited Incheon
Metropolitan City in March 2014.
On the first day, we first
visitedthe
IncheonFoundation for Women andFamily. Expected to play arole as a local research center
specializing in policies for
women, this organization Coffee shop at the entrance of
became independent of the the Incheon Foundation for
Women and Family
IncheonDevelopment
Institute (IDI) in January
2013. Featuring its own research group, the Foundation
provides educational programs and job training programs
to encourage more women to participate in society. At theentrance on the first floor of the Foundation there was a
coffee shop. What impressed us there was that the shop
employed elderly staff with barista qualification.
We also visited an in-house nursery next to Incheon
City Hall. This nursery is only for children of staff

International Understanding Seminar“Save Children in the Philippines!”／ KFAW Study Tour Debriefing Held
■Date & Time: March 29, 2014, 14:00−17:30■Number of Participants: 41

We held an international understanding seminar andinvited staff members from the PREDA Foundation, which
we had visited on the study tour. Ms. Marlyn CAPIO wasprotected at 14, when she was forced to work as a childprostitute. Now, with the support of the PREDA Foundation,
she works as a social worker at the foundation in order to savechildren in similar difficulties. Ms. Rodelyn ARROZ, now
placed under the protection of the foundation, spoke about

her very painful experience in tears.
The second half of the event was a debriefing of the study
tour. Tour participants gave
outlines of the facilities thatthey had visited and spoke
about how they had felt in thePhilippines. The details areavailable on our website.

6

No.71 June 2014

The 23rd KFAW Foreign Correspondent’s Report
ProfileYoung Female Leaders for the
FutureI am from the most deprived province in Pakistan and thebackground of my family is a tribal family. I have experience ofworking in three provinces of Pakistan in the fields of disastermanagement and gender-based violence. Now I have acommunity-based organization which focuses on human rights,
women’s education, etc. I am a student in the gender studies
department of Qaid e Azam University in Islamabad. I wish toempower women in Pakistan, give equal opportunities to them,and promote gender mainstreaming.

Mr. Saboor AHMED (Pakistan)announced to vigorously participate in Pakistani politics.
In
addition,
AyeshaGulalai WAZIR, the firstwoman ever elected as themember of National Assembly
from
FATA
(Federally
Administered Tribal Areas),is aged just 26, butnonetheless, she is ready to
Ms. Ayesha Gulalai WAZIR
take up the challenges that
her tribe, area, province, and country are facing for a long time.
There are still many others who are ready to lead the youth andthe nation with great strength and vigour.
Meanwhile, on the educational front, Malala YOUSAFZAI,a 16-year-old school girl, rendered unforgettable service byputting her life in great danger, as she was shot in the head by
an extremist. Since her recovery, she has become a globallyrecognized symbol of thepromotionofeducation.
Malala YOUSAFZAI has
received
numerous
prestigious awards for her
sacrifice,
and
is
still
committed to promoting theawarenessofeducation
Ms. Malala YOUSAFZAI
among all people.
Today, Pakistani women enjoy a better status than mostMuslim women in other countries. However, on average, thewomen’s situation vis-à-vis men is one of systematic gender
subordination, although there have been attempts by thegovernment and enlightened groups to elevate the status of
women in Pakistani society. Now, due to a heightenedawareness among people, educational opportunities for
Pakistani women have increased in the past few years.
Also, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the first Pakistani woman
to win an Oscar (Academy Award) for her documentary film
“Saving Face”, rendered great service by highlighting thebrutal and inhumane act of throwing acid at women in
Pakistani society, which is tarnishing the image of thecountry on a global level. Thus she has become a role model
for social scientists, shedding light on the social evils thatprevail in our society. To sum up, it can be said that all theseendeavours by young female leaders have brought about the
beginning of long-awaited dawn that will always be shining
on each and every one of us without bias and prejudice.

Historically, Pakistani politics has always been dominatedby a few families and dictators, and they have reserved theirrights in the country’s politics. Also history tells us thatpolitical parties have always used the youth to achieve theirpolitical targets and, looking at the bigger picture, the role ofthe youth in Pakistani politics has always been limited. In
retrospect, it is evident that little or no representation has
been bestowed upon Pakistani youth, particularly the women.
However, in recent times, hope has arisen in the shape ofYouth Parliament of Pakistan. Besides, it has brought
optimism, a breath of fresh air. Young intellectuals,
comprising both genders, are given importance, and finally it
seems that Pakistan is on the verge of a revolution−an inhouse revolution that would change the face of Pakistan not
only on the political front but also on others as well.
Moreover, “Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, theFounder of Pakistan” saw the youth as a major asset to the
newly created state, i.e., Pakistan, and repeatedly emphasized
the role of the youth in Pakistani politics. And he believed theyouth was vital driving force for taking the country forward.
His sayings reflected his belief that the young men and women
are the leaders of the future.
“Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students
who have always been in the forefront in the hour of trial andneed. You are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow and you mustfully equip yourselves with discipline, education, and training
to cope with arduous tasks lying ahead of you. You should
realize the magnitude of your responsibility and be ready tobear it”, said Muhammad Ali JINNAH. Keeping this message
in mind, Pakistani youth have prepared themselves to takeleading roles in politics, education, social work, sports andother spheres. On the political front, the youth of Pakistan,especially the women, have got the highest representation
since the creation of Pakistan. A number of young female
leaders have taken responsibility to lead the youth from thefront. To mention a few, Maryam NAWAZ, the daughter of
Prime
MinisterNawaz
SHARIF, joined the active
politics a few years back, andnow she is the chairperson of
Youth
Business
Loan
Scheme. Also, the daughtersof former Prime Minister
Benazir BHUTTO (Asifa andMs. Maryam NAWAZ
Bakhtawar BHUTTO) have

Location of
Kitakyushu

KITAKYUSHU OTEMACHI BUILDING 3F
OTEMACHI 11-4, KOKURAKITA, KITAKYUSHU, 803-0814 JAPAN
PHONE＋81-93-583-3434 FAX＋81-93-583-5195
E-mail: kfaw@kfaw.or.jp URL: http://www.kfaw.or.jp/index.html.en

DalianBeijing

ISSN 0918-8266

Seoul

Tokyo
Kitakyushu

KFAW
The Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women (KFAW) was established in October of 1990 with a special
government fund for revitalization projects. Subsequently, in 1993, the KFAW was recognized as afoundation by the Ministry of Labour (the present Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The purposeof the KFAW is to promote the improvement of women's status through various projects as well as their
PRINTED WITH
mutual understanding and cooperation in Asia.

SOY INK

This copy is printed with environment-friendly soy ink.

7

TM