KITAKYUSHU FORUM ON ASIAN WOMEN MARCH 2008

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MARCH 2008

Women Today
German company that had invested in the waterproject decided to withdraw from the project.
This is only one example of how infrastructure,designed to improve local residents’ standard of living, eventually devastated their daily lives. Such
failed projects clearly exhibit the importance of traditional ways of using limited natural resources.
However humble those ways appear to be, they contain essential wisdom for long sustaining vital resources for residents in respective localities.
In the context of predictions on global water
shortages, I am truly concerned about a dark business that is planning to make a profit from watertransactions.

Tokiko Kato
Singer

I. Don’t Take Water from Us
We often hear, “Let us
build a water service pipeline so that everyone can access tap water.” During theWorld Summit on Sustainable Development, held in
2002 in Johannesburg, water was a main topic ofdiscussion. At an NGO conference held concurrently with the Summit, I heard an African woman
pleading: “For heaven’s sake, please don’t take water for the pipeline from the water source we’vebeen carefully managing. By piping water from thesource, you are taking water from us, poor people
who cannot pay the water bill. Who on earth has
decided to pipe water from the source? It is we
women who draw water. We use water for cultivating, cooking and washing. We gather firewood, dohousework and take care of children. Yet men holdmeetings to discuss these important issues that affect our daily lives, without inviting women to thediscussion table. Why don’t they ask for women’s
opinions? Men, who know nothing about actual daily life, decide everything, and so they are destroying our lives.”
I was surprised to hear her statement, since I
had thought that women who carry heavy water
jars on their heads would be pleased to have a water pipeline and to be relieved from the heavy burden of drawing and carrying water. I had never realized that these people had maintained water
sources.
In the autumn of 2000, I was appointed a goodwill ambassador of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). The following year I went
to Kenya, home of the UNEP Headquarters, to visit
Lake Nakuru, a well-known habitat for pink flamingos, and inspect water and sewerage systems
that had been completed near the lake. The sewerage system was designed to feed treated wastewater into Lake Nakuru, whose water volume wasdecreasing. At the treatment plant, however, I was
surprised to see only a little water. I learned that
few local residents could afford to pay the water
bill. Due partly to the insufficient number of water
service users and partly to a chronic water shortage
caused by abnormal weather, the water service
business did not work. Subsequently, I heard that a

II. Call from Gaia
In urban areas, we see less and less greenery.
Yet, an increasing number of residents in large cities are eager to develop a closer relationship withnature. People have an inherent desire to see,touch and smell the soil.
Five years ago, I inherited a farm from my latehusband. We receive many visitors who wish to experience farm life: middle-aged businesspersons
who are considering their life after retirement,
young students who are struggling to find theirway, and many others who are disappointed intheir present situation and who have found hope incountry life. Increasing numbers of people in theirthirties and forties are also giving up their careers
for an agricultural lifestyle.
Indeed, many people are wandering here andthere searching for the right direction. I believethat in a sense, such “wanderers” are pioneering a
new age and a new society. I truly hope that theirenergy will be converted into a driving force for creating activities, and that their dissatisfaction withtoday’s society will be transformed into the aspiration to create a new society. To convert their energy, however, they need self-esteem and confidence
to lead their own lives.
If we continue covering the ground with concreteand contaminating the land, there will be no futurefor human beings. We all need contact with the soil
and with nature.
Profile of Tokiko Kato
Tokiko Kato made her debut as a professional singer in 1965,
when she was a student at the University of Tokyo. She is
known for such blockbuster hits as “Lullaby for a Lonely Night,”“Millions of Roses” and “Travel Weary in Shiretoko.” Presently,
she serves as a board member of the World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF) Japan and as a goodwill ambassador of theUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In addition,
she is committed to a campaign to realize a Sound MaterialCycle Society.

※This is an excerpt from Tokiko Kato’s book, Tsuchi ni inochi no hana sakaso (Sunmark Publishing, Inc. 2008).

No.52 March 20081

Current Issues SeriesProfileSports and GenderPart 1

Keiko Itani is a specialist in the pedagogy of physicaleducation. She also serves as the director of the Japan
Society for Sport and Gender Studies (established in2002). Currently, she is committed to studies of physi-

Sports Culture and its
Influence on Gendercal education curricula in the U.S. and gender issues in

Keiko Itani
Professor, Department of Healthand Physical Education,
Kyoto University of Education

Today, we are witness to many women athletes andtheir striking achievements. Along with the rapid increase in the number of women participating in sports
activities, women’s performance levels have improved
radically. Moreover, women have begun to participate
in a wider variety of sports events. Women of all generations take pleasure in sports, many continuing to takepart in sports throughout their lives. In this environment, it is almost unbelievable that only a century ago
women were not allowed to take part in sports activities.

sports and physical education.

have been effective in supporting the development of amale-oriented modern industrial society. In otherwords, sports have helped to domesticate people bycontrolling their hostility and aggressiveness, eventraining them to obey authority.
Modern sports, originating in Great Britain during the
19th century, developed as an educational tool for men,whose roles became increasingly important in modern
society. In British public schools–establishments for
elite education–rugby and other sports were adopted
in school curricula as effective means of developing“gentlemen.” Through sports, students were trained todevelop good health, courage, respect for discipline,
and the spirit of teamwork.

In the modern Olympic Games, which began in 1896,
women were not admitted to the first Games, held in
Athens. At that time women’s roles were to pay homage to male winners. In 2004, over one century later,
Athens was again the venue of the Olympic Games. On
that occasion, women comprised some 40% of the athletes participating in the Games. On the Japaneseteam, women comprised around 55%, outnumbering
their male counterparts for the first time in the team’s
history.

Since modern sports have been developed based on
male-oriented principles, athletes are generally encouraged to gain more muscle and reduce body fat.
Apart from modern sports, we enjoy a wide variety of
exercise activities, including 1) hiking and bathing inthe sea to enjoy leisure time, 2) aerobics, walking andyoga for health, 3) dancing as an art of self-expression
and 4) tag and various other games as pastimes. These
activities are non-competitive and difficult to quantify
in terms of individual players’ performance levels. In
contrast, modern sports feature competitive events inwhich athletes with well-built physiques and greater
muscle weight generally win. In the majority of suchmodern sports events, body fat is regarded as a negative element. Athletes are therefore encouraged to reduce extra body fat, in order to achieve higher performance levels. Since muscles and body fat are controlled by sex hormones, from a gender-sensitive perspective, we could even say that muscles and body fat represent male and female bodies respectively. Moreover,in modern sports culture which places priority on masculine muscles rather than on feminine body fat, women are considered inferior to men.

The fact that there were no women runners admitted
to marathon races until 1978 is another example ofwomen’s exclusion from sports competition. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
first admitted women to marathon races in 1978. Later, the women’s marathon first became an official
Olympic event at the Los Angeles Games, held in 1984.
In the past quarter century, the women’s marathon
has seen great progress. Apart from the fact that the
number of female runners has increased sharply, theirperformance levels have also improved dramatically.
In this series of lectures, I would like to discuss the culture of sports and physical education from a gendersensitive perspective. Most of the sports events held at
the Olympic Games and other athletic meets havebeen developed since the latter half of the 19th century. Underlying these modern sports are male-oriented
principles, which have guided men’s educational programs and supported the progress of the modern industrial society. In modern sports, you can easily recognize a strong tendency toward competition, internationalism, organizational structure, quantification anda quest to establish new records. All of these emphases

The dramatic activities of many sportswomen demonstrate not only the high potential of women, but also
differences between men’s and women’s physical abilities. They also demonstrate the differences in theirperformance levels. Both gaps often seem impossible
for women to overcome.

2

No.52 March 2008

th

The 18

Kitakyushu Conference on Asian Women
Let’s Link Together and Create a More Sustainable FuturethFrom November 10 (Sat.) to 11 (Sun.) 2007, the Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women (KFAW) held the 18
Kitakyushu Conference on Asian Women with the theme: Let’s Link Together and Create a More Sustainable
Future.

Program
November 10 (Sat.)
13:15-13:55 Keynote Speech“Words into Action: Education for Sustainable Development to Secure Our Common Future”
14:00-14:30 Special Program: Interview with Deputy Mayor of Kitakyushu
14:40-17:00 Session Meetings: 1. Gender/Human Rights Education
2. Environment/Development Education
3. Declining Birthrate/Aging Population and Welfare Education
November 11 (Sun.)
10:00-12:30 Reports on KFAW’s Research Projects
13:00-16:30 Symposium organized by TAKAMIYA MARIVER Environmental Protection Foundation

linked, where people can never isolate what is happening to them from what is happening to other people living in other regions. In other words, we all have a common future as inhabitants on the earth, and must all
work together to resolve various problems by cooperating with one another on local, national and international levels.

Keynote Speech
Words into Action: Education for Sustainable
Development to Secure Our Common Future
Dr. Hans van Ginkel (Former Rector, United Nations University)

As the keynote speaker, Dr. Hans
van Ginkel (Former Rector, United Nations University) gave apresentation on the theme of
Education for Sustainable Development: ESD. He discussed thecurrent situation of ESD aroundthe world and what we can do topromote ESD.

What is the most effective way to promote this fact to
as many people as possible? ESD is one way. ESD is“education for all.” It involves not only gender education and human rights education, but also education
regarding all issues essential to sustainable development for future generations.
When we talk about “sustainable development,” wemust realize that underlying this concept is the humanarrogance that people can control nature. We must always remember, however, that nature is powerful. We
humans must try to live in harmony with nature, since
we can never live in opposition. To live in harmony
with nature, we must have proper knowledge. Since
human life has become increasingly complex, we now
need innovation to address various problems comprehensively by seeking an optimal balance between different demands, in addition to knowledge.

▲ Dr. Hans van Ginkel

Keynote Speech (Excerpt)
Until recently, people understood that the world waslike a map indicating national borders with many
countries, all painted in different colors within the contours of national borders. Today, however, we knowthat the world is best represented in a photograph of
the globe, taken at night from outer space. Such a photograph shows bright areas and dark areas. The brightareas represent regions where many people dwell andengage in economic activities. They also represent
where greater amounts of energy are consumed thanare actually needed.

The term “innovation” is often interpreted as referring
to technological innovation or invention. Technologicalinnovation, however, entails social innovation. Social
innovation, on the other hand, can take place without
advanced technological innovation, if education andknowledge are available in various academic fields.
Advanced educational facilities, such as universities,
play essential roles in imparting knowledge. In addi-

We can also say that the present-day world comprises
many nodes and channels. Tokyo, Kitakyushu, NewYork and the Netherlands, for instance, are nodes,
where people gather and engage in economic activities.
Between nodes run channels, such as the shinkansen.
As you see, we are now living in a world that is closely

No.52 March 20083

tion to imparting existing knowledge, universities
should fulfill their roles in facilitating innovation. Universities are responsible for developing professionals,
such as teachers and physicians, and must be open to
many people, including both students and practitioners, to whom they offer training. At the same time,
universities must work to retain the cultural identitiesof their respective societies, since that is essential fordeveloping sustainable societies.

and Welfare), her first job was to prepare the draft ofthe Equal Opportunity Employment Law. Just before
her transfer to Kitakyushu, she was committed to programs for helping workers achieve an optimal worklife balance, so she was questioned about this issue.
Work-Life Balance (Excerpt from Ms. Asada’s Remarks)
Immediately after World War II, Japan established asocial system based on the presumption that men workoutside the home as full-time workers and their wives
stay home to do housework, with a few workers doingsome auxiliary tasks, basically as part-timers. Thissystem has changed little even today, even though anincreasing number of women now work full-time outside the home. Today, women workers comprise 40% ofJapan’s labor force. Along with such dramatic changes,
workers’ attitudes toward their occupations and life
have also changed. Men, as well as women, embrace
diverse desires: in addition to their jobs, more andmore people want to use their time and energy inlearning and community activities. Despite such socialchanges and changes in attitudes, working systems inJapan remain as uniform and inflexible as ever. Thisgap between the system and workers’ minds causes various problems. Women workers, for instance, feel it isa considerable burden to do housework and raise children. Men who desire to engage in childcare, on theother hand, find it difficult to do so, if they hope to bepromoted or sometimes even to maintain their present
positions or jobs.

In addition to universities, it is important to build platforms where people of diverse backgrounds can gather
and work together to address various problems, including those related to gender equality and environmental
degradation. Such platforms should be formed at regional organizations, including schools, universities, NGOs,
municipal governments, media, museums of naturalsciences and museums of fine arts. By using such existing organizations and facilities, we can introduce
ESD not as a new subject to learn or teach, but as aprogram common to all existing subjects. The aim of
ESD is not to introduce sustainable development education as an additional subject in existing curricula,but to transform present education into a new form
whose focus is to promote sustainable development.
Since education is something that must be available topeople throughout their life stages, it is important toprovide such opportunities to people long after they
graduate from school. To that end, we deem it important to establish regional centers, or what we call Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs). In the beginning of
2007, United Nations University certified 35 RCEs
worldwide. We have set the target of establishing a total of 400 RCEs by 2015.

Seeking an optimal work-life balance is important not
only for working mothers struggling to fulfill both occupational and family responsibilities, but also for men
and women of all generations who aspire to lead a fulfilled life. To ensure that workers can realize theirgoals, we must establish a new system for providing
workers with diverse options. In the keynote speech,
Dr. Hans Van Ginkel mentioned “social sustainability.”
I believe that “work-life balance” is one key concept formaking our future society sustainable.

To promote ESD at individual RCEs, we must consider
various aspects of ESD, including environmental/ecological, economical and social aspects. Moreover, wemust study these aspects on the conceptual, practicaland individual case levels. Although what we must dodiffers according to respective levels, we must combine
the results of studies conducted on all these levels to
implement actual programs. To realize sustainable development, we must begin with what we can do in our
day-to-day life, while at the same time developing systematic solutions applicable on a global basis. It is important that we act both locally and globally.

Ms. Asada also said, “As the Deputy Mayor of Kitakyushu, I advocate developing a city that is friendly toresidents, developing social systems that encourage
women’s activities, and city planning involving citizens. In relation to developing social systems that encourage women’s activities, my impression of women in
Kitakyushu is that they are a little too modest and do
not fully exhibit their abilities and vitality. They always stand one step behind men. I want women to step
forward. I want to encourage them to assume responsible positions in companies or governmental bodies, andto exert their power and leadership.”Special Program
Interview with Deputy Mayor of Kitakyushu
Ms. Chihoko Asada, the first female Deputy Mayor of Kitakyushu, who assumed office on
October 9, 2007, was on handto give an interview to the audience.

Session Meetings
On the basis of the keynote speech by Dr. Hans vanGinkel, three session meetings were held on the following themes: Gender/Human Rights Education; Environment/Development Education; and Declining Birthrate/Aging Population and Welfare Education.

When Ms. Asada joined the former Ministry of Labour (nowthe Ministry of Health, Labour ▲Ms. Chihoko Asada

4

No.52 March 2008

Panelists in the session meetings included specialists
from diverse fields and backgrounds. After presentations on the panelists’ respective activities, audience
members also introduced their activities. All participants engaged in a spirited discussion about ESD.

ted to governance and other issues of democracy, Ms.
Rosales said that UN-HABITAT is committed to developing policies that promote and respect public participation in decision-making.
Session 2
Theme: Environment/Development Education
Panelist: Ms. Yoshiko Tomiyasu (Representative, Kitakyushu Women’s Association for a Better
Aging Society)
Ms. Hiroko Morooka (Lecturer, Faculty of Food
Culture, Kurashiki Sakuyo University)
Mr. Sven Holst (Associate Professor, Facultyof Literature, Fukuoka Women’s University)
Ms. Tomiyasu is committed to various activities for addressing
the issue of aging societies. The Association’s programs include meal delivery,
elderly care, andchildcare services, aswell as network projects and academic activities. The meal delivery service
is based on the Association’s policy: meals for local residents, cooked by local residents using locally-produced
foods. The Association members believe that people are
deeply connected to the locale where they have grown
up. By revaluing the traditional Japanese dietary culture in the context of present-day environmental challenges, and thereby reviving a traditional culture thatis at peril of being forgotten, the Association is simultaneously addressing the challenges of the aging society
and environmental degradation.

Session 1
Theme: Gender/Human Rights Education
Panelist: Ms. Shouko Nishimoto (Executive Director, Department of Child and Domestic Affairs, Child and Domestic
Affairs Bureau, City of Kitakyushu)

Mr. Shun-ei Kawauchi (Associate Professor, School of
Medicine, Kurume University)

Ms. Lowie Rosales (Gender Specialist, UN-HABITATRegional Office for Asia and the Pacific- Fukuoka)

Ms. Nishimoto
reported on
Kitakyushu
City’s commitment to achieving a genderequal society.
After introducing data
showing that over 50% of both men and women in Kitakyushu support the stereotypical concept that thehusband should work outside the home while the wife
should stay home and take care of the family, Ms.
Nishimoto discussed the need to promote genderequality awareness among young people. She suggested that men should be more aware of the merits ofgender-equal societies, and ponder their roles in achieving such a society.
Mr. Kawauchi suggested that in environmental education it is essential to provide first-hand experience,
rather than simply provide knowledge. As an example,
he introduced model classes at a certain elementary
school. In the classes, students voluntarily study insects or other interests, visit natural habitats and report on what they have discovered. Mr. Kawauchi said
that through the experience of organizing the classes,
he confirmed the importance of having firsthand experience, saying, “It’s easy to forget what you hearfrom others, but if you actually see something, you begin to think about it. And, if you experience something
firsthand, you begin to understand it, and you neverforget what you have discovered.”

Ms. Morooka introduced the activities of RCE Okayama, which comprises the ESD Promotion Council, andis dedicated to the operation, support and evaluation of
ESD activities; and the ESD Research Department,
which carries out survey programs. According to Ms.
Morooka, RCE Okayama still finds it difficult to promote ESD activities at the grassroots level. Accordingly, the RCE is considering the use of community halls
as platforms that link ESD organizations and grassroots residents. Ms. Morooka stated that in communities where community halls do not hold many programs that involve local residents, the RCE must findother existing facilities that may serve as platforms,
and that if there is no such existing facility, the RCEmust build it.

Ms. Rosales introduced UN-HABITAT programs andwomen’s roles in various post-disaster reconstruction
programs. UN-HABITAT is a UN agency for promoting regional development and for addressing problems
relating to urbanization and human settlement. Its Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Fukuoka iscommitted to various projects for improving hygienic
conditions and for promoting post-disaster/post-conflictreconstruction in many countries. The Office incorporates gender analysis, in preparing, implementing andmonitoring these projects. According to Ms. Rosales,
many women play essential roles in preparing reconstruction plans. Since gender policies are closely rela-

No.52 March 2008

Mr. Holst introduced volunteer activities by the elderlyin Germany. According to him, many retired people inGermany provide volunteer services when municipalities cease providing public services for financial reasons. Since a wide variety of services are provided bysenior citizens, they also hold various meetings to exchange information. Universities provide senior citizens with educational programs, so that citizens who
have studied at universities can exert leadership in
grassroots activities as “senior trainers.” Many senior

5

trainers have formed “senior talent teams,” to develop
their own projects and share their experiences withother members.

Ms. Fujioka made a presentation on the results of thesurvey regarding child development and associatedproblems. In this aging society with the number of children decreasing rapidly, nationwide discussions are focused on who will support the aging population. Ms.
Fujioka, however, pointed out that such discussions often lack the perspective of developing children’s soundbodies and minds. She also stated that, rather thantalking about future generations yet to be born, we
should focus our attention more on children who areliving now, and work to make their lives healthier andhappier.

Session 3
Theme: Declining Birthrate/Aging Population and Welfare
Education
Panelist: Ms. Yumiko Ehara (Professor, Faculty of Urban
Liberal Arts, Tokyo Metropolitan University)
Mr. Noriaki Seki (Representative, NPO Satoyama Active Viewers of Eco-society)
Ms. Sakiko Fujioka (Chairperson, Associationof Nursery Schools, City of Kitakyushu)
Ms. Fan Xiaoying (RCE Beijing/Beijing Normal
University)

Ms. Fan reported on the activities of RCE Beijing,which was founded in 2005 by Beijing Normal University. According to Ms. Fan, RCE Beijing is promoting
ESD on the basis of extensive networks linking municipalities, schools, communities and universities. She
also stated that RCE Beijing is promoting its activities
on the following three levels: school education, community education and education on broader regional
levels. To address problems involved in balancing both
environmental preservation and regional development,
the RCE is currently building a region-wide network
involving municipalities, military forces, police, agricultural organizations, regional hospitals and community committees. In addition, the RCE offers seminars on ESD to teachers, school principals and government staff members, in order to develop specialists
proficient in developing more advanced ESD programs.

Ms. Ehara gave a presentation titled “The Vicious Cycle of Blaming the Declining Birthrate on Family Orientation: How to educate the younger generation about
the problem of the declining birthrate.” By “family orientation,” Ms. Ehara means family-oriented policies, or
policies that advocate welfare systems in which family
members, particularly women, bear the burden ofchildcare and care of the elderly. Ms. Ehara suggested
that the major cause of the present extremely low
birthrate in Japan is this family-oriented welfare system. She explained that unless people understand thatparenting is the responsibility of both men and women,
the birthrate in Japan will continue to decline. Referring to her student’s views about the declining birthrates, she described the difficulty of liberating students
from the deeply embedded family orientation.

Reports on KFAW’s Research Projects
KFAW researchers and visiting researchers gave presentations on the following themes:“Gender and Transportation: Approaches to global
warming”
Ms. Yukiko Oda (KFAW Chief Researcher/ Professor, The Japan Red Cross Kyushu International College of Nursing)“Environmental Education from the Gender Perspective: A case of Nepal”
Ms. Masako Ota (KFAW Senior Researcher)

Mr. Seki, whose NPO is committed to promoting sustainable lifestyles developed in traditional villages, introduced “The Forest Forum,” a program for providing
patients with dementia and their families with opportunities to visit forests. This program is based on a network of NPOs, volunteers, enterprises and the municipal government. Before the Forest Forum, facilitator
development seminars were held to provide NPO
members and volunteers active in environmental programs with opportunities to learn optimal ways to respond to patients with dementia. In addition, since volunteers committed to environmental campaigns andwelfare activities usually work separately, the event
provided both groups with a rare opportunity to work
together. Mr. Seki also mentioned that as a result of
the Forest Forum, his NPO members discovered the
optimal use of parks and forests to help the elderly truly relax and enjoy themselves.

KFAW Visiting Researchers“Budgeting for Gender Equality in Japan and Republicof Korea: An analysis of current gender budgeting
practices and frameworks in two asian countries”
Ms. Reina Ichii (Full-time Lecturer, Institute for Gender Studies, Ochanomizu University)
Co-researcher: Ms. Yasuko Muramatsu (Professor Emeritus,
Tokyo Woman’s Christian University)“Community in Central Asia with Gender Perspectives”
Ms. Junko Otani (Associate Professor, Graduate School of
Kyushu University)
Co-researcher: Mr. Takuzo Osugi (Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Kyushu University)
Ms. Asuka Kawano (Graduate School of Human-Environment
Studies, Kyushu University)“Current Status of Municipalities Positive Action”
Mr. Harumichi Yuasa (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law,
Kyushu International University)

6

No.52 March 2008

Pyongyang

Seoul

Tongyeong City
Tongyeong, located in South Gyeongsang Province (Gyeongsangnam-do),covers Goseong Peninsula and 140 islands. The City has a population of
130,000. Tongyeong is a tourist resort
and is home to various industries, including shipbuilding, fisheries andvarious traditional crafts, such as
mother-of-pearl inlay.

IncheonBusan
Tongyeong

Kitakyushu■ Purpose of study tour

tions were given on
some initiatives takenby the Tongyeong RCE,
followed by a Q&A session and free discussions.

To study various programs in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the Kitakyushu Forum on
Asian Women (KFAW) selected the Republic of Korea
as the destination of its most recent study tour. We
planned to study advanced initiatives taken in the Republic of Korea for promoting ESD, so as to initiate innovative programs in the Kitakyushu region.

▲ Informal discussion with Ton-

We learned that the gyeong RCE
City of Tongyeon, which
was accredited as an RCE in October 2005, enacted a
related ordinance in May 2006, in compliance withwhich the city established the RCE Board, Organizing
Committee and six subcommittees all dedicated to various educational programs. A subcommittee, “ESD for
citizens,” involving around 80% of the NGOs andNPOs members within the city, organizes seminars
and workshops for leaders of such organizations. Another subcommittee, “ESD for schools” is dedicated to
ESD model school projects at one elementary school
and one senior high school, as well as to organizing
seminars and workshops for schoolteachers. The Seminar Subcommittee organizes RCE forums for ESD
leaders, as well as educational programs for staff members of the city government. The Research and Evaluation Subcommittee prepares the 10-year RCE program. The Public Relations Subcommittee prepares
pamphlets and web pages. The Infrastructure Subcommittee is dedicated to the ESD Educational Center project and Ecological Park project. In both projects, theTongyeong RCE will construct the facilities concernedby 2014, with funding of KRW 150 billion (approx.
USD 160 million) from the Ministry of Environment
and the government of South Gyeongsang Province.

In Kitakyushu, our commitment to ESD has just begun. In December 2006, the United Nations University
accredited Kitakyushu as the fourth Regional Centreof Expertise (RCE, designed to promote the Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development) in Japan. The
Kitakyushu ESD Council (formed in September 2006),
currently consisting of 51 organizations including educational institutions, civil groups, enterprises and governmental bodies, has formed three teams in order topromote ESD activities in the region: public relations,project formation, and research.
th

In November 2006, the KFAW held the 17 Kitakyushu Conference on Asian Women on the theme of
ESD. At that time, KFAW had the pleasure of hearing
a presentation by Ms. Park Eun-kyung, Chair of Tongyeong RCE. Impressed by her presentation, many audience members wanted to visit the RCE in the Republic of Korea to learn about the advanced initiatives being taken there. During the study tour (from October
12 to 16), tour members visited Tongyeong and Incheon Metropolitan City, home to the two RCEs in the
Republic of Korea, to study their ESD activities andhold discussions with representatives of local educational institutes, civil groups and governmental bodies.

●Inpyeong Elementary School
In Tongyeong, we visited Inpyeong Elementary School,
the first ESD model school in the Republic of Korea.
After visiting the school facilities, we attended a presentation and discussion meeting. The teachers wereorganizing school curricula in line with ESD to develop
educational programs focusing on issues familiar to●Tongyeong RCE
Upon our arrival in Tongyeong, we took part in a meeting held at City Hall to promote friendship with members of the Tongyeong RCE. About 20 member organizations of the Tongyeong RCE participated. After the
welcome address by Mayor Jin Euy-Jang, presenta-

No.52 March 2008

Incheon Metropolitan City
Incheon Metropolitan City, locatedclose to Seoul and the third largest
city in the Republic of Korea, has apopulation of 2.64 million. In 2003, thenational government designated theCity, with both an international airport and seaport, as the first free economic zone in the Republic of Korea.
Since Incheon Metropolitan City andthe City of Kitakyushu establishedsister-city relations in 1988, this year
the two cities will celebrate the 20th
anniversary of their relationship.

7

students. Moreover, such programs are designed to promotestudents’ understanding of asustainable society, and to
train students to practice sustainable lifestyles. The teachers introduced several original
programs that they had pre▲Drawings by Inpyeong pared in a joint effort with civil
Elementary School stu- groups and local communities
dents
through ESD networks. These
original programs include special classes on traditional
cultures and industries, such as mother-of-pearl inlay
and lacquer ware production, as well as mask plays;
and environmental education in which schoolchildren
engage in pearl oyster cultivation and collecting andrecycling beach litter. To reduce food waste, cafeteriastyle lunches have been introduced and students are
instructed to take only the amount of food they can eat
and “to empty their plate.” This initiative, called the“Empty Plate Campaign,” has been introduced in otherschools in Tongyeong. At the discussion meeting, representatives of Tongyeong showed a keen interest in
the City of Kitakyushu’s initiative to sort household
waste and its Eco-Town project.

Women’s Hotline Center, a shelter for womenand a facility supporting
women’s independence.
The Incheon Women’s
Hotline Center currently has a membership of400. To support wom- ▲ Exchange with women’s groups
in Incheonen’s economic independence, the organization is committed to campaigns topromote property registration in the names of bothhusband and wife, protect human rights, and eradicate
DV and the sex trade.
Next, we visited a municipal women’s facility called Incheon Women’s Plaza, which opened in 2004. There weparticipated in a traditional Korean tea ceremony, andobserved a cooking class. Among the various classes
held at the Women’s Plaza, particular priority wasplaced on IT and language courses. The Plaza also had
programs to support women entrepreneurs.
●Incheon Citizens’ Day Event
We participated in an Incheon Citizens’ Day event,
held at Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium. Representatives of all of Incheon Metropolitan City’s sister cities
around the world were invited. Among those attending
were Mr. Kitahashi, Mayor of Kitakyushu, and theMayor of Honolulu. The event featured an award ceremony for distinguished citizens and various performances. Incheon is currently committed to a bidding
campaign for the Asian Games 2014.

●Incheon Guworlseo Elementary School
In Incheon Metropolitan
City, we first visited Incheon Guworlseo Elementary School, where we attended a discussion meeting with schoolteachers.
Located in the central partof the City, the school was ▲ “Hill of sharing,” Guworlseo
once surrounded by grey Elementary School
concrete buildings. To create an ideal environment inwhich children could envisage the future, in 2004 theschool began greening its premises under the slogan:
Let’s turn the school into a forest with magical power.
As a result of this greening program, the school now
has a “hill of dream and growth”, which exhibits planttransition in forests; the “hill of sharing”, with a pond
visited by insects and wild birds; an organic vegetablegarden called the “farm of life”, a crop farm called the“field of happiness”, and a roof garden called the “hill ofbreezes”. These various types of natural environments
are designed to enable children to learn about ecology
while playing. The school also observes traditional seasonal events, such as flower planting, iris festivals,
star festivals and harvest festivals. For such events,
parents and community residents are invited to theschoolyard.

■ Impressions of the TourIn Tongyeong, we were deeply impressed by the people’s strong will and efforts to pass on to future generations their traditional cultures and industries, such as
the production of mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquerware. In Incheon, we were moved by the people’s enthusiasm and commitment to restoring the natural environment amid the urban area, so as to give children
contact with the natural environment.
Since the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted by Japan and
Korea, an increasing number of people in both countries have shown interest in their respective neighborcountries. During this study tour, we were deeply impressed by the enthusiasm of the South Korean people
for ESD. Our contact with the Korean people was extremely inspiring and helpful for initiating various
ESD programs in the Kitakyushu region. Althoughover the years, relations have had rocky periods, we
felt that Japanese and Korean people are gradually developing equal partnerships between individuals. It isessential that individual citizens of both countries together consider global environmental degradation andother important challenges that face both countries.
We strongly believe that such friendly ties between individuals can help form a sustainable global society.

●Friendly Exchange with Women’s Groups in Incheon
At Incheon Women’s Culture Center, we took part in a
discussion meeting with the following women’s groups:
Incheon Women Workers’ Association, Incheon YWCA,
Incheon Womenlink, Incheon Women’s Hotline and Incheon Women’s Association. At the meeting, women introduced various topics, such as abolition of the householder system. Following the meeting, we visited the8

No.52 March 2008

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS REPORTS(to access other foreign correspondents’ reports, please visit : http://www.kfaw. or. jp/english/correspondents. html)

Women and Community Activities
Using the Stick for Development

Women and Community Development:
Some Prospects and Challenges

Swapna Majumdar (India)

Bharati Pokhare (Nepal)

At first glance, Geeta Rathaur seems just like anotherhousewife. But the demure housewife gave a wife-beaterin her village a dose of his own medicine. It is this bold
and innovative approach to problems that has won her
the Outstanding Woman Panchayat Leader award presented annually by the Delhi-based Institute of Social
Sciences (ISS). The ISS, which honours women in local
self governments, chose Geeta from among 300 applicants in recognition of her work as sarpanch (head of acluster of villages).

Community activities launched with women as target
beneficiaries have notably been successful in villages of
Nepal. Women are accordingly being targeted by numerous non-government organizations. This is primarily due
to their immense interest in community activities as exhibited in these successful projects. And secondarily, it isbecause they are socially and economically marginalized.
Women’s responses to interventions in community activities have been very positive. For example, this correspondent could easily note the change in sanitation behaviors of a woman-headed household in the remote
Jumla district in the mid western region of Nepal. ThereI visited Maili, a local resident. She enthusiastically explained about joining a local community group a coupleof years ago to discuss not only personal problems, butalso a variety of issues related to community development.

Geeta contends that if she had not beaten the man, hiswife would have never had the courage to return to hermaternal home with her children and file a case against
him. “The husband came to his senses after he had totravel from our village to his wife’s village to attend court
hearings. It took four years for him to accept his mistakebut once he returned with his wife, he has never beaten
her again,” she states proudly. In fact, according to Geeta, no man in her village has dared to beat his wife sincethen.

She explained that a local NGO helped them to organize
themselves into a group. Once the group was formed, theNGO offered adult literacy classes and orientations on
health and sanitation. They were also taken on a visit to
Butwal to observe the healthy behavior of people. Maili
said that the first few things she did after getting back to
the village was: (a) construct a toilet with financial support to eliminate open defecation; (b) relocate her pigshed from her backyard to a distant field to minimize infestation mosquito, flies and other insects and to avoid
bad smells and an unsanitary environment; (c) focus on
personal hygiene and strictly monitor children’s sanitary
behavior, (d) visit local health posts instead of traditional
healers during illness; and, (e) communicate to others
what she learned.

Geeta, however, was not always so bold. She was unwilling to run for panchayat or local government elections,content to carry out her duties as a housewife and mother. But after her family supported her, she agreed. Aftertaming husbands who beat their wives, Geeta hit upon anovel idea to resolve disputes between daughters-in-law
and mothers-in-law. She imposed a monetary fine of Rs
500 on the person found guilty by the panchayat members. Expectedly, the number of disputes came down
drastically.
What really endeared Geeta to the women in the village
was her decision to empower them with land rights. She
distributed land rights to 95 couples under the housing
scheme but ensured that the document was in the woman’s name. This was done to ensure that the land could
not be sold surreptitiously without the woman’s consent.

Based on my meeting with several stakeholders, such as
economically active women, economically inactive housewives, NGO staff, key informants, husbands of bothtypes of women, community health workers, and extension agents in the community, I feel that women’s proactive participation in community activities in remote ruralparts of Nepal is constrained mainly by factors such as
their existing work burden, lack of recognition and support from male counterparts, lack of education, and limited productive opportunities.

So does the firebrand wife rule the roost at home as well?
No, says husband Champa Lal. There is no dispute about
who the boss is at home. “I can’t cook or clean. She has to
do all the housework,” he states. While Geeta nods inagreement, she is quick to point out that he has no objections to her being out of the house at odd hours and is
supportive of her work. So, if she has to go to another village for work, he accompanies her.

Women in Nepal’s rural areas face additional hardships
due to the remoteness of their location in terms of accessibility. For example, Maili has to walk over difficult
hilly terrain for 40 minutes one way to fetch drinking
water. This means that those 80 minutes–which would
have otherwise been contributed to meaningful community activity–are lost.

Alternatively, Geeta has no qualms interfering in his
work. Since her husband is also a member of the Janpad(next administrative tier above village) panchayat, shebelieves she has the right to voice her opinion in her capacity as his wife and a member of the village. When her
husband was unable to attend ameeting, she went in his place. “It
was to decide on an important development project. So I represented him. After all, it was for the
benefit of the village,” says Geeta,
smilingly.
▲

Lack of educational and productive opportunities severely hamper women’s efforts towards their own capacity
building and income generation. The majority lack a basic educational foundation. Limited economic potential
exists in these communities due to geographical remoteness and the resultant lack of access to basic infrastructure and facilities. If serious efforts towards removing
these barriers are made, we can expect women to leave ahuge mark in community activities in Nepal.

Geeta Rathaur receives anaward for her good work

No.52 March 20089

Experiences of Rights BasedApproach in Kenya:
Challenges and Prospects

THE FORUM WINDOWThe Rise and Fall of theAustralian Femocrat

Justus Mutie (Kenya)

In 1984, the Australian Government became thefirst in the world to introduce Gender Budget
Analysis (GBA). This involved the analysis ofgovernment budgeting from a gender-sensitive
perspective. This action was principally driven by
the female bureaucrats of the time, otherwise
known as femocrats.

During a nationwide dissemination of the popular version of the Convention on All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) among stakeholders, new perspectives, hitherto unacknowledged, emerged concerning
deeply-rooted underlying causes of inequalities and discrimination in Kenya. The Dissemination Strategy wasdeveloped to meet the challenge associated with the implementation of a right based approach. This approach is
to meet the basic needs of individuals, namely, food,clothing, shelter, education, health care, clean water anda safe environment. It also involves the right to participate in making and implementing decisions which affectones own development.

In Australia during the 1970s, the women’s
movement mainly focused on incorporating
feminists’ perspectives into government policy byincreasing the number of feminists in Parliament
and the government. At that time, the Women’sElectoral Lobby (WEL), a non-party women’s lobby
group founded in 1973, was leading the Australianwomen’s movement. Promoting six objectives,
including equal employment opportunities for men
and women and more childcare services, the WEL
worked to increase the number of female membersin the Australian Parliament, as well as the numberof female bureaucrats.

Among the deeply rooted challenges are relics of seventy
years of colonialism that brought about distortions in social relations. The most notable of these is the exportingof male labor to the urban sector, leaving women in therural economy without supporting social and physical infrastructure. This aspect, which continues to affect ruraldevelopment, is further complicated by post colonial governance practices. These practices are associated withcommand-based resource allocation from the central government where the neediest, including women in ruralsectors and urban informal settlements, are by-passed bybudgeting arrangements.

Until 1996, femocrats worked in all federal
departments and agencies to advise on womenrelated policies. Here, they cooperated with the
Office of the Status of Women (OSW) to undertake
GBA. The findings of GBA in all federal
departments and agencies were announced in theannual Women’s Budget Statement, after it had
been examined by the Women’s Advisor, who was
appointed by the Prime Minister. In this way, GBA in
Australia was carried out by femocrats who utilized
networks across many federal departments andagencies.

Coupled with the problems of distortion, another challenge affecting the rights based approach is the pursuitof market–oriented policies. These have, since the 1980s,
stipulated cost–sharing and cost–recovery mechanisms ofdebt financing, which has in turn affected basic services
delivery.
Other supplementary determinations of inequalities anddiscrimination include rural–urban equality concerns,
non-performing governance structures, gender relations
and social exclusion, and lack of a citizens’ charter to enforce accountability by leaders and government officials.

In 1996 however, the role of femocrats diminished
due to the change in government. The new Liberal
Coalition Government abolished Women’s Units infederal departments and agencies and cut thebudget and personnel of the OSW. Also, the new
government downgraded the status of the OSW bytransferring it from the Department of Prime Ministerand Cabinet to the Department of Families andCommunity Services (now the Department of
Families, Housing, Community Services andIndigenous Affairs). As a result, the power of the
OSW declined remarkably. The government also
discouraged femocrats from including criticism of
the government in the annual Women’s Budget
Statement. Moreover, urged by the Department ofTreasury, the Women’s Budget Statement, which inits heyday totaled more than 200 pages, wasreduced to only a few dozen pages in 1996, achange eventually leading to the demise of GBA in
Australia.

The suggestions on the way forward include the need for
fundamental shifts in changing beliefs, perceptions andattitudes. For example, women’s rights are not purely afeminine issue but a development challenge to be integrated into all levels of decision making, ranging fromthe household and family levels to the national agenda.
It is merely not a domain of activists as has often been
perceived but a dynamic human rights issue.
There is also a need to promote activities through a citizens’ charter which identifies regional based development and governance priorities towards achieving sustainable development. Also, it is necessary to enhance
the accountability of leaders to promote leadership by objectives rather than the exception, and capacity buildingof grassroots level institutional frameworks to development governance structures for easy service delivery. All
stakeholders, especially civil society and faith based organizations, should advance the best management practices to ensure that citizens taketheir rightful positionin championing theirbasic needs as basic
rights.

After the federal election held at the end of
November 2007, the Australian Labor Party won ina landslide victory and returned to power after ten
years in opposition. The new cabinet now has
seven female members including a female Deputy
Prime Minister, a record in Australian history. It is
yet to be seen however, if this will translate into a
restoration of the power of the femocrats andresurrect GBA to better promote gender equality
and women’s empowerment.
Reina Ichii
Full-time Lecturer, Institute for Gender Studies,Ochanomizu University
KFAW Visiting Researcher▲Basic rights necessitate women
putting more time and energy
into community work

10No.52 March 2008

ISSN 0918-8266

QA
Q A
&

&

Question

AnswerCornerQ

Compulsory education in Japan is nine years – six years
in elementary school and three years in junior highschool. The new school year starts in April. How about inyour country?

Jocelyne Vokouma,
Burkina Faso

Naomi Sasaki, Kitakyushu, Japan

Elementary education (seven years)
is free in Uganda. At the end of theseventh year, we sit examinations
held by the Examination Board.
Once we pass, we qualify for secondary education.

Namande Grace,
UgandaIn the educational system of
Burkina Faso, there are six
years in elementary schooland seven years in secondary
school. The secondary school,
which includes junior (fouryears) and senior high schools(three years), is the preparation stage for college. The newschool year starts in Octoberand ends in June.

Although elementary school is free, not all children can go to school. As many families in Burkina Faso are economically poor and have a lot ofchildren, some parents occasionally have theirchildren abandon studying to help at home. The
number of schoolhouses and textbooks are insufficient. Therefore, Burkina Faso’s literacy rate is
low–31.4% for men and 16.6% for women (DataBook of The World 2008: Ninomiya Shoten)–andis among the lowest ranking countries in theworld.

A A

Secondary education is divided into
ordinary (four years) and advanced
levels (two years). In the fourth year of the ordinarylevel, we sit examinations. If we pass, we can moveahead to the advanced level. After we complete theadvanced level, we can enter university or technicalschools by taking examinations.
Each year has three terms. The new school year
starts in February.

COVER PROFILE
Ms. Kotoge, originally from Fukuoka Prefecture, became a policewoman because she wanted to work for local citizens. Police officers learn kendo or judo as a part of their training
because it useful in the arrests of criminals and defense. Ms. Kotoge chose kendo because
she started learning kendo as an extracurricular activity when she was a junior highschool student. Kendo, like other Japanese martial arts, is a sport that emphasizes tradition and etiquette. In kendo, it is important to learn not only sword usage but also the samurai spirit. It is also essential to form one’s character through hard practice. Ms. Kotoge
thinks that she was able to endure the hard training of police training school because ofher prior kendo experience. Moreover, she acquired proper etiquette and strength not only
physically, but also mentally. These are very useful trails for work as a policewoman.
Ms. Emi Kotoge
Policewoman

Location of
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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 a foundation by the
Ministry of Labor. The purpose of the KFAW, through various projects, is topromote the improvement of women's status as well as their mutual
understanding and cooperation in Asia.

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