KITAKYUSHU FORUM ON ASIAN WOMEN JUNE 2008

WOMEN TODAY

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53

JUNE 2008

When I was little, I was an active and cheerful girl,but I was not particularly good at sports or studies.
Lacking self-pride, I long sought for something inwhich I could gain selfconfidence. One day, encouraged
by a teacher of physicaleducation I consulted, I began tobelieve that, like my classmates,
I too had a unique talent, andthat I must do my best to
develop my hidden potential,
whatever it might be. During myjunior high school days, I
participated in an 800-meter
race, an event in which none of
my classmates wanted to takepart. Winning that race, I gained
much-needed self-confidence.
That was the beginning of mylife as an athlete.

discriminate against either sex on the grounds ofgender, but at the same time we should respect thedifference. I believe that we must all make efforts
to develop our potential-not as
men or as women, but as humanbeings-and seek fair recognitionof our achievements.
Japanese people have longadhered to the ideal of “genuine”
amateurism or the convictionthat athletes should not ask foror receive money. This is why I
was criticized when I commenced
a sports business as Japan’s first
professional runner. Outside
Japan, however, increasing
numbers of athletes were gaining
money for their sports activities.
Regarding this trend, I believedthat it is both necessary andpossible to change in Japan
regarding amateurism. I beganmysportsbusinessinconsideration of many young
athletes who were following me. Fortunately, I can
now conduct various business activities as aprofessional athlete. Still in Japan, it is considered
wonderful if the man earns the money but the
woman does unpaid work. This kind of thinking is
outdated. If women do not carry out work thatreflects our value, we can not exercise our abilities
to the fullest. Already worldwide, the necessity ofchanging the consciousness about this is evident.

After I grew up, I participated in
the Olympic Games twice as a
marathon runner. I learned thatthe women’s marathon was first
introduced to the Olympic Games in 1984, at thetime of the Los Angeles Games. Until then, themarathon had been considered too “extreme” forwomen, so there were no opportunities for women
to take part in such a race. One woman who
wanted to participate in the Boston Marathon,
however, submitted an entry using a man’s name.
She really wanted to participate in the race, which
had a long history, knowing well that only men
were admitted to take part. Although the organizer
discovered that a woman was in the race and tried
to withdraw her from it, she was able to finish withthe help of male runners. After this incident, theorganizer of the Boston Marathon began accepting
women’s entries, a fact that eventually paved theway for including the women’s marathon in the
Olympic Games. Today, increasing numbers ofsports events admit women. Although I do notbelieve that all events should be open to women, Ialso believe that there will be more sports events
for women. Despite the short history of women’s
sports, it will surely continue to expand in scope
and target audiences around the world.

Based on my past experiences and these ideas, I
have established RIGHTS Inc., a company tosupport athletes, including myself, in theirbusiness management. In addition to competing inraces, I believe that athletes should deliver theirmessages to sports fans and the general public,
messages based on their views of life and what they
have learned through their hard training andparticipation in races. To do this, however, athletes
need assistance and support from individuals andorganizations. Although athletes can take part incompetitions for only a limited portion of theirlives, during that short span many athletes build
up extraordinary experiences that are unique tothem. Such valuable experiences should be sharedwith many more people. Moreover, after
retirement, former athletes should develop theircareers by taking advantage of what they havelearned through their experiences as athletes.
RIGHTS Inc. helps such athletes build channels to

Whereas many women athletes are active invarious events, women are still underrepresented
in sports organizations. Regarding the imbalance
between men and women in sports activities, I
personally do not believe that women should do
everything that men do. Of course, we should not

No.53 June 20081

the public. RIGHTS Inc. also advises athletes
regarding ways to deliver their messages. Since I
myself received various kinds of support in thesematters, I hope to support other and former
athletes through the activities of RIGHTS Inc.

completed preparation of the guidelines in 2007.
These guidelines will now be used in 2008 at specified
model schools, where teachers will provide physicaleducation in accordance with these guidelines.
Sports can enliven children and create strong bonds
between them. Making efforts in sports can change
children’s lives, even though not all of them will
become athletes. The essence in teaching sports, I
believe, does not reside in teaching techniques.
Through teaching sports, we can best encouragechildren to live their lives by fully developing theirpotential. Through training, children can learn thevalue of maintaining communication with otherpeople, retaining health, observing rules and above
all, making efforts without giving up. While
enjoying games, children can learn all thoseessential elements of their lives. I want to deepen
public understanding of the vital importance ofsports and the unlimited roles that sports can playin children’s education and human resource
development.

Besides my involvement in RIGHTS Inc., I, alongwith others, also established an NPO called Heartsof Gold. The impetus to create this NPO started
with an invitation after the Atlanta Olympics toparticipate in a charity race held in Cambodia. The
race was designed to support local people who
needed prosthetic limbs. In attending that race, I
visited a developing country for the first time in mylife. There I saw firsthand people suffering frompoverty and who, at the same time, were
surprisingly powerful and vigorous. I was strongly
impressed by the fact that people can retain theirvitality even under such challenging conditions as I
saw there. In the following year, I participated in
the second charity race in Cambodia. At that time I
saw a remarkable change, change in a positive way,from the first event. Many adults and children withprosthetic limbs were participating in the race. In
Cambodia, there are many victims of antipersonnel
landmines; yet the Cambodian government
provides no financial aid to such people. Still worse,
landmine victims are discriminated against by
their neighbors due to belief in reincarnation,
which is deeply embedded in the minds of local
people. They believe that victims deserve theirpresent misfortune, which is divine justice for theirown misdeeds in their previous lives.

Immediately after finishing the marathon race at
the Atlanta Olympic Games, I said, “jibun de jibun
wo hometai” (I want to praise myself), because I
knew more than anyone else how much effort I had
made. I hope to continue making efforts so that I
can convince myself that I have done all that I
could. People in the world are living in various
environments: some in comfortable environments,
others in harsh environments, and still others in
extreme calamity. Despite such differences,
however, all individuals have their own potential. I
firmly believe that all people should findopportunities to fully develop their potential,
regardless of gender. It is my sincere hope thateach and every person will do their best to
maximize their potential. I also hope that insteadof waiting for opportunities to be provided, allpeople will take action by themselves.

The marathon race was a rare opportunity for such
victims to demonstrate their presence and vitality.
To many victimized children, the race offeredencouragement to practice running, and what ismore, hope for living. After seeing that a single
sports event can inspire and enliven so many
people, I set up Hearts of Gold, with the aim ofsupporting the self-reliance of Cambodian people.
Of the diverse activities of the NPO, theCambodian government particularly valued ourprogram for developing sports trainers. In
recognition of the program, to which we had beencommitted for five years, the government asked us
to help in the preparation of physical education
guidelines for elementary schools. Until then, in
Cambodia there had been no physical education
program guidelines for elementary schools. Even
though elementary school days comprise the mostimportant period for children’s physical development,
Cambodian children did not have any opportunity tolearn about their bodies or health conditions. We

Profile of Yuko Arimori
As a marathon runner, who won the silver medal in Barcelona(1992) and the bronze medal in Atlanta (1996). After thosecompetitions, she became a professional athlete. She now
serves as Director of RIGHTS Inc.; Representative of NPO
Hearts of Gold; a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) goodwill
ambassador; and a member of the Women’s Committee,
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

This text is based on an interview with Yuko Arimori on January 17, 2008.

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No.53 June 2008

Current Issues Series

Keiko ITANIGender Bias regarding Sports and Exercises
Whenever I visit a fitness club near my house, I see
many more women than men doing exercise. It issurprising to see that so many women are fond of
exercise. In dance and yoga programs, womencomprise the great majority of participants. In
fashionable sportswear, they seem to be enjoying theexercises to their hearts’ content, as well as
friendships with other participants. Many men, on
the other hand, are exercising alone. Some are
running silently, while others are using strengthtraining machines, gasping for breath. Apparently,
some of these men began coming to the fitness clubin order to prevent lifestyle-related diseases. Others
seem to have begun doing exercises that they can doby themselves, since they do not like playing teamsports, such as soccer. There are of course many men
who love competitive sports events, like golf andsoccer.

engaged in any form of sports during the previous
year was higher than that of men by about 8%, I
assume that many women were willing to enjoy
sports but had no opportunity to do so. I also assume
that many men wishing to enjoy sports had few
opportunities to do so.
Regarding the types of sports and exercises favoredby men and women, we cannot simply state thatmen, more so than women, prefer competitive sports
and hard training. Recently, increasing numbers of
women have begun to participate in wrestling, judo
and other sports events that used to be considered
men’s sports. Both men and women are enjoying“boxercise,” which is becoming increasingly popular
now, as well as other exercises incorporating combat
sports motions, such as punching and kicking. On
the other hand, few men participate in synchronizedswimming and other sports events that have beendeveloped primarily for women. At fitness clubs, only
a few men participate in yoga and aerobics classes.

According to a recent survey (The 2006 SSF
National Sport-Life Survey by Sasakawa Sports
Foundation), the “active sports population” (people
who engaged in sports activities at least twice aweek) in Japan comprised 15.9% for both men andwomen. The percentages of those who had not
engaged in any form of sports activities during theprevious year were 27.4% for men and 35.6% forwomen. The survey also indicates that over 60% of
women in their thirties and forties complained thatthey did not have opportunities to enjoy sports, eventhough they wished to do so.

In Part I of this lecture series, I discussed the fact thatmodern sports originated as an educational tool todevelop boys’ masculine character. Therefore they arecharacterized by a strong competitive tendency. I also
discussed the fact that modern sports require athletes
to gain more muscle and reduce body fat. Sports
events that are now popular in school and society also
reflect these tendencies. On the other hand, yoga anddance, which are popular among women, promotedialogue with one’s own body, rather than competition
with others. They demand that performers observeand care for their own physical condition, rather thanachieve new records or defeat rivals.

Many Japanese women stop enjoying sports or doing
exercises while they are young. For example, thenumber of junior and senior high female students
participating in sports club activities decline as theirschool year advances. After graduating from seniorhigh school or university, many women stop doing
exercises. A generation-based analysis shows thatthe ratio of women who enjoy sports reaches bottom
at the age when most women are busy doinghousework and taking care of children. Afterreaching fifty years of age, many women resume
sports activities.

In conclusion, I believe that there are no great
differences between men and women regarding
physical abilities or psychological preference for
sports events. Rather than gender differences, I
believe that there is gender-based bias in theexisting sports culture. This is a caltural bias among
both genders that leads men and women to develop
different attitudes toward sports. Were it not forsuch bias, both men and women would be able toenjoy whatever events they truly wished to enjoy.
While women wish to participate more in sports
activities and exercises, men probably also desire to
enjoy dance and yoga, but hesitate to do so due to theembedded stereotypical attitude that men must
engage in masculine, competitive sports.

Are the differences in this exercise data attributableto physical and psychological characteristics uniqueto respective sex? Or do men and women have acommon inclination toward sports activities?
Although the percentage of women who had not

No.53 June 2008

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

3

Kuniko YOSHIZAKI (KFAW President)nd

The 52 Session of the UN Commission on the
Status of Women (CSW) was held at the UN
Headquarters in New York for about two weeks fromFebruary 25 to March 7, 2008. The Kitakyushu
Forum on Asian Women (KFAW) was granted NGO
Special Consultative Status by the Economic andSocial Council for the United Nations in 2002. Since
that year, KFAW members have annuallyparticipated in CSW sessions. In addition to nationaldelegates, nearly 2,000 representatives of NGOs (18from Japan) participated in this year’s session. I alsondattended the 52 Session as an observer andparticipated in several workshops organized by
NGOs. Although I attended the session for only
three days, I would like to briefly report on it. My
report is based on what I observed there firsthandand what I learned via various media after returning
home, particularly regarding the Agreed Conclusionsndof the 52 Session.

sites, I found the statement delivered on February
28 by Dr. Yoriko MEGURO, representative of theJapanese delegation, along with the Agreed
Conclusions publicized on March 11. I was impressedwith the ease of obtaining such information via theInternet almost concurrently with people attending
meetings in New York. Dr. Meguro stressed: in orderto realize gender equality, women’s participation isessential at all levels of policy and decision-making.
She also emphasized the importance of reforming
financing schemes so as to ensure that they truly
benefit women. To promote the building of a genderequal society, she explained existing problems inJapan and the initiatives being taken to resolvethem.
The Agreed Conclusions
adopted by participants atndthe 52 Session stipulatethat the Commission on the
Status of Women reaffirms
the Beijing Declaration andPlatform for Action. In
addition, they also stipulatethat the Commission also
recognizes the importanceof gender mainstreaming as a tool for achieving genderequality. Specifically, the document posits the need to“incorporate a gender perspective into the design,development, adoption and execution of all policies andbudgetary processes.” In addition, the document
stipulates the need to “integrate a gender perspective inthe design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation,and reporting of all national economic policies,
strategies and plans.” The Agreed Conclusions also
contain many practical initiatives that should be taken.

nd

The 52 SessionndDuring the opening ceremony of the 52 Session(where discussions were held among therepresentatives of the 45 CSW-member states), UN
Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon stated, “Violenceagainst women is never acceptable, never excusable,
never tolerable.” He declared the initiation of a
global campaign to end violence against women(2008-2015). During the campaign, he asked
representatives of participating states to prepare
and
enact
laws
stipulating that violent
acts against womenconstitute crimes. He
also asked the media,
maleleaders
andwomen’s groups tocooperate with thiscampaign.

Vigorous NGO Events
Concurrently with this session, many NGO parallel
events were held throughout the session period at
Church Center, situated in front of the UN
Headquarters. Of those programs, I attended
workshops titled “Violence against Women andGirls,” “Financing and Gender” and “Envisioning ath
5 UN Women’s World Conference.” Unlike theformal meetings held at the UN Headquarters, these
events featured a friendlier and more casual
atmosphere. Audience members asked manyquestions and offered suggestions. By exchanging
information and name cards with many women
representatives of various NGOs, I expanded myglobal network there.

nd

The priority theme for the 52 Session was “Financing for
gender equality and the empowerment of women.”
According to the Japan Women’s Watch (JAWW), theprimary element of financing is the flow of money. In therecognition that public and private financing organizationsin the world generally do not benefit women as well as
men, discussions were held regarding the ideal state ofmoney flow and effective investment methods forpromoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. In
addition to this theme, various meetings were held under
several other themes, including “violence against women”
and “gender perspectives on climate change.”
After returning home, on the UN and other online

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No.53 June 2008

The Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women (KFAW) is a full member of the National Committee for the United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Japan. Moreover, KFAW supports the UNIFEM Kitakyushu Local Committee,
one of the UNIFEM’s nine local committees in Japan to help improve women’s lives in developing countries including
support women for their economic independence. Recently, the UNIFEM Kitakyushu Local Committee organized a lecture
by Tetsuro IKEMA, representative of the NPO Asia Child Support. He visited the poorest regions in various Asian
countries to shoot a film and render support to poor people. His lecture, based on his first-hand experiences, was utterly
shocking and extremely impressive for us Japanese, who are living in the so-called “affluent society.”are fully aware of the vital importance of providing
education for children, the building of school
facilities is extremely difficult for local residents,
particularly in rural villages where few have cash
income. Ikema is committed to programs to help
build schools in such villages. When an elementary
school is opened in such a village, he observed all thechildren learning eagerly. Some attend classes with
their younger brothers and sisters, taking care of
their young siblings while studying in class.
At the lecture held in Kitakyushu, Ikema’s story
about Asian children battling various hardships
moved many audience members to tears. What
impressed them most deeply, however, was hisstatement “Volunteer activities are indeed helpful.
The most important activity in life, however, is tolive your own life with all your might.”

If you ask Japanese children, “What is your dream?”
they are likely to reply that their dream is to becomea professional sports player, TV talent, designer,pilot, etc. When Tetsuro Ikema asked the samequestion to several Filipino children, they said thatthey wanted to survive to adulthood. In Cambodia,
he met children whose dream was to eat as muchrice as they like. In contrast, Japanese children of
today do not regard food as something important or
precious. After school lunch, there are always hugeamounts of leftovers. Yet on the same planet, he has
seen radically different situations. In Mongolia, forinstance, he saw a couple, that had not eaten any
food for a week, abandon their own children. In
Thailand, he saw parents selling their daughters to
sex-work brokers in order to save the rest of theirfamilies from starvation. In Cambodia, he saw
children inhaling paint thinner because it was thecheapest way to forget their hunger pangs. The priceof paint thinner is half that of bread or noodles.
When feeling hungry, Mongolian children living inmanholes fill their mouths with tatters, oldnewspaper or cardboard and keep chewing on them
to forget their hunger.

Ikema lectures throughout Japan, telling his
audience about children’s miserable state in Asiandeveloping countries. He said that the purpose of his
lecture activities is not to ask for help for suchchildren, but to enable Japanese audiences to learn
about the importance of living each day to thefullest. He introduces children who are striving hardto survive in the worst settings that Japaneseaudiences could ever imagine: garbage dump sites,
manholes, etc. While talking about these children, hehopes that Japanese people, particularly children,
will learn important values that have been forgottenin the so-called “affluent society”-the spirit of selfreliance, gratitude for one’s parents, and above all
the strong will to maximize life.

When you hear the term “school,” what sort of image
do you have? For most Japanese, “school” implies
nine years of compulsory education provided by local
governments free of charge. Japanese people also
take it for granted that local governments build andmanage school facilities. In Myanmar, however, local
residents, rather than governments, are responsible
for building school facilities. Only after buildings arecompleted do the governments dispatch teachers to
the schools. However, even though local residents

No.53 June 2008

“

5

”

The Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women, entrusted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),
annually organized the Seminar on Gender Perspective in Environment and Development. Victoria Vilma
BLANCO ZAMALLOA was one of the program participants for FY 2006. One year has passed since she finishedthe seminar in Japan. She submitted this report about her activities in her own country.

The main objectives of Peru Verde Association(Peru Verde - Green Peru), a Peruvian Association,
are the conservation and appreciation of Peru’s floraand fauna. Also these objectives include the testingof possible methods for sustainable development
including the participation of local people. In
particular, Peru Verde works to protect the uniquely
and intact tropical rain forests of southeastern Peru,
biologically one of the most diverse areas in theworld.
At this time, I would like to talk about our landacquisition project to convert these properties into a
private reserve inside the Peru Verde’s Private
Cloud Forest Reserve. This reserve, purchased
thanks to private donors’ support, is a protected area
within the Manu National Park, Province ofPaucartambo, (approximately 150 km from Cusco).
The reserve extends from the southeastern border ofthe Manu National Park to the left margin of the
Kosñipata River.
This forest is like a sponge that absorbs the mist
and rain carried by the southeastern winds. The
water gradually released from this dense forest
slowly flows downhill to form the streams that later
unite to form the Kosñipata River. This forest is
located on steep slopes, which makes them very
vulnerable and susceptible to erosion. For thesereasons, this forest is inappropriate for any
extractive or agricultural activities.
The current reserve and the purchased lands also
protect the largest, most accessible, and tamest
known population of the amazing Andean Cock-ofthe-rock bird. The spectacled Bears and monkeys arealso part of the rare and spectacular wildlife foundthere. We protect thisfragile forest from
exploitation for timberand Andean colonists
too.
To ensure income forthe conservation at
wilderness areas combined with sustainable economic activities, wedeveloped an ecotourism project inside the reserve. We
established a rustic biological station to receive andsupport Peruvian and foreigner biologists interested inworking on fauna, flora, and conservation topics.
There we also built a blind to watch the Cock-of-therock birds in their lek or mating spot . The beautiful
Cock-of-the-rock is Peru’s national bird.
Since 1996 tourists from different companies pay
to watch the Cock-of-the-rock bird. This lek has

become famous among scientists, tourists as well as
the national and international press. This is because
there is no other spot in the entire Andes where somany of these blazing red birds can be seen so easily.
In 1996, we built a bigger biological station used
as well as a lodge for ecotourism purpose. We
initiated a modest, low-impact ecotourism programin our cloud forest biological station. Afterwards, webuilt a Cock-of-the-rock Lodge. In order to ensure
tourists for our ecotourism lodges, Peru Verdecreated a travel agency: InkaNatura Travel(conservation through tourism). The lodge is incharge of diffusing our goals to the agencies andtourists that visit the place. All the profits obtainedby InkaNatura Travel and Cock of the Rock Lodge
goes into our conservation work.
We purchased more hectares of forest currently
owned by neighbors of our reserve. By buying theselands, Peru Verde’s reserve was enlarged and theprotection of the existing reserve was greatly
enhanced. At this time, Peru Verde owns a total of
4,500 hectares of cloud forest along the southeasternborder of Manu National Park.
One project objective is to improve the protectionof the Cloud Forest Reserve. Another is theacquisition more land to increase the size of thereserve. This in turn will help foster better
protection of the steep, fragile headwaters as well as
prevent possible hunting or logging on or near the
existing reserve.
During 2008, we are also planning a new
Reforestation Project near the private reserve alongwith a local community. For this project, we need totrain local residents to build green houses to grow theplants needed for reforestation. In addition, the idea is
to use fruit and other useful trees, for the community’s
economic benefits from the commercialization of thesecrops.
In conclusion, this project is benefiting more than
5,000 people, including the Sunchubamba, theKosñipata Valley, and Madre de Dios regions,guaranting water collector forests for the future. In
addition, thanks to this Cock-of-the-rock birds lek,
we are saving 14 Cock-of-the-rock leks, the habitat ofother species, and the cloud forest. Throughecoturism, we are helping them help themselves.
Moreover, by protecting these forests, we aresupporting carbon sequestration. This thencontributes to efforts to reduce global warming andimprove biodiversity preservation. By using only 1
hectare out of 4,500 hectares for ecoturism, we areminimizing our impact on the environment.

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No.53 June 2008

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS REPORTS(Access other foreign correspondents’ reports on a website: http://www.kfaw.or.jp/about/about 04-01.html.en)

Women and Community Activities
From Underneath the Flyover: Educating Street Children in Indonesia
Gloria ARLINI (Singapore)
Street children are a familiar sight in Indonesia.
They are commonly found loitering around traffic
light junctions in urban centers, often with simple
handmade musical instruments, singing slightly offtune to the lyrics of Indonesian pop songs for
donations as low as IDR 100 (approx. 1 U.S. cent).
Frequently, they are content just to peer into thewindows of posh cars stuck in traffic. Children looklongingly at the cars’ comfortable interiors while theowners ignore their piercing gazes.

poverty of the community living under the flyover, butalso by the fact that children as young as ten years
old were already entering prostitution. Coming froma comfortable background, the sisters aspired to
introduce some form of education to thesemarginalized children.
Entirely funded by Rian and Rossy’s personal savings,
Kartini School is nothing like the many ultra-modern,state-of-the-art schools in Indonesia today. It is built
using makeshift materials, such as, plywood andcardboards. Its appearance is very much similar tothe other humble dwellings built under the flyover ofRawa Bebek. School has entered these children’s
street life. And education has become readily
available without street children having to leave their
comfort zone on the streets. It is perhaps this very
familiarity that motivates 350 street children fromthe neighbourhood to diligently attend Kartini School.
There they are provided with free education,
uniforms, books and stationery from Rian andRossy—known as the Twin Mothers to the community.

As of 2003, the Indonesian Department of Social
Welfare recorded the existence of approximately 50
thousand street children in the country1. These
children typically come from poor families who areunable to provide them with proper schooling.
Despite Indonesia’s nine years compulsory education
program, and in spite of the recently introduced
School Operational Aid that empowers selectedschools to fund children from low income families,
street children continue to shy away from formal
education and remain on the streets.
The reasons for this vary. Some drop out of school infavor of more practical money-making activities, suchas, being pengamen (street artists). Others suffer fromlow self-esteem. Most street children, though, feel thatthey occupy a different social reality from full-paying
students. Their marginalized existence, impoverishedbackground and uncertain future come together tobuild a socio-psychological barrier that prevents themfrom going to school like other “normal students.” As aresult, these uneducated street children become evenmore vulnerable to the perils of the streets, with manyof them falling prey to child trafficking, prostitution,
drug pedaling and other crimes.

Despite its humble physical appearance, Kartini
School seems to have made a difference on the lives ofthe street children it serves. Since its inception, theschool has obtained accreditation in 2000. It hasestablished four more branches in Jakarta—themajority of which are privately funded by Rian andRossy2. Between them, they serve close to a total of2000 street children from primary school to highschool level. Today, keeping abreast with technologicaldevelopment, the street children in Kartini School
have even begun to use computer in their lessons.
Rian and Rossy are two women who, through theirphilanthropic activities, have made a difference to thelives of uneducated street children in Indonesia. They
have in effect redefined formal education inIndonesia. Instead of getting children to go to school,
they literally bring education closer to home, even to
those without homes3. Aptly named after an Indonesianheroine who pioneered the education for women at theturn of the 20th century, Kartini School reaches out toeducate the underprivileged group in today’s society.

Sri Irianingsih (Rian) and Sri Rosiati (Rossy), twinsisters in their fifties, felt that something needs to bedone to break this cycle of poverty. Their brainchild,
Sekolah Darurat Kartini (Kartini Emergency School)
was therefore built under a flyover in Rawa Bebek,
North Jakarta to serve the educational needs of thestreet children within the vicinity.
Indeed,“emergency” is an apt word to describe the appalling
educational condition of Indonesian street children.
Rian and Rossy were dismayed not only by the abject
1 This figure is a rough estimate. In addition, statistics vary widely
according to the definition of street children.
2 Although mainly privately funded, Kartini School also receives
aids and donations from various quarters and sponsors.

No.53 June 2008

3 It must be acknowledged that the Indonesian government wasalso introduced pilot programmes that aim to bring education tostreet children, such as, Rumah Singgah (Drop-in Centres) and
Mobil Sahabat Anak (Children’s Friend Caravan).

7

Women Empowerment and Leadership in Uganda
NAMANDE Grace (Uganda)
Human rights advocacy of women groups in Uganda has
slowly uplifted women’s positions in our country.
However, it is necessary to fight for the rights of women;
especially, the underprivileged ones like the illiterates
deep in rural areas and women with disabilities.
Although these groups of women are vulnerable, they
are intelligent and capable people with leadership skills.
They just need a chance to test their skills. They are
discriminated against and not taken to school. Women
with disabilities normally lack basic needs, comfort andencouragement. Those who qualify are denied big posts,
marriage, etc. Women themselves need to be sensitizedso as to understand their rights, responsibilities andtheir importance in the society. This will help thembuild their self confidence and self esteem for leadershipin society.

Government and other institutions within and outside
the country need to offer free supportive education to help
our women upgrade or acquire more leadership and otherimportant skills. These initiatives should include theintroduction of free education for all at every educationlevel. Moreover, government efforts to sensitize the publicfrom the villages to the national level concerning theimportance of educating a girl child is essential.
Women leaders in turn can fight for the wellbeing ofotherwomen.
Helping
women
toaccessentrepreneurship skills, start and sustain their income
generating activities as well as learn how to access loans
through macro and micro finance institutions are also
important areas for improvement.
Finally, it is necessary for the Ugandan government tocreate a more positive environment for women in all
aspects including national and international voluntary
assistance for women’s programs. All of these measures
will foster women’s empowerment. And this empowerment
is necessary for women to increase their leadership at alllevels of society.

During selection and recruitment of workers, womenwith the required qualifications, should be given an
equal chance to access jobs and leadership positions. In
this case, more women will step up and compete withmen and show their abilities.

Women Transcend Borders for New Enterprises
Satoko CHATTERJEE (India)
Shimulberia, a farming village in Bankura, an arid
region in the western part of the State of West Bengal,
India, has 47 households of the Santhal minority1. In
2003, an NGO by the name of the Development
Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC)
formed a women’s group there as a community activity.
Of the 200 people in the village, 96 are adult women ofwhom 26 of them, mostly mothers, joined the group. As
is the case of other minority villages, the literacy rate of
women in the village is far below the state average,
reaching not even 20%2. This group began withmembers other than the leader barely capable of writing
their name, if that at all.

savings account. Using the money saved in this way, thewomen’s group, the supporting NPO from Japan andthe local DRCSC from India will jointly purchase land
this year for multipurpose educational activities. Threetimes a week in the early evening, reading and writingclasses are held, but in the busy farming season, classes
are more intermittent.
Shimulberia is no more than one example of what
women can do. However, there are many women’sgroups in villages across India making similar efforts. If
there is anything that women from villages like
Shimulberia can give to the economically affluent andwell educated women of Japan, it may be a different
view of the stereotypic poverty. In order to appreciate
the efforts made by women in another part of the world
and maximize efforts in communities, women inindustrially advanced countries must learn andunderstand the necessity of those efforts.

Since 2006, a women’s NPO from Yokohama, Japan has
been supporting multipurpose educational activities andinteracting with this village group for several years now.
Once a year, women from Shimulberia have enjoyed theopportunity to show visitors from Japan what they are
doing. The group has a savings account that grows frommonthly dues of INR30 (approx. USD1) and group
activities such as preparing elementary school lunches
in the area, jointly harvesting borrowed fields andselling seedlings of multipurpose trees.

1 Basic data such as the number of households in Shimulberia
was collected by field workers from DRCSC working in cohort
with members of the women’s group.
2 Development and Planning Department, Govt. of West Bengal,
Human Development Profiles 2007, West Bengal, 2007.

Members can then take out loans from this savings
account, according to set rules, to purchase new
livestock. The group also jointly stockpiles rice during
the August-November period when food supplies run
short. And, if there is a surplus of stored supplies, thegroup sells them and deposits the money in their

8

No.53 June 2008

New Foreign
Correspondents
In 1991, the Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women (KFAW) establishedthe foreign correspondents system to build up broad networks with people in overseas countries, particularly in the Asia and Pacific region.
This year KFAW was pleased to receive 18 foreign correspondent applications for FY 2008 foreign correspondents. Of the 18 applicants from
13 countries, KFAW selected nine from nine countries. As a result, thetotal number of past and present foreign correspondents has reached 236
in 34 countries. Through its network of foreign correspondents, KFAW
will continue to provide up-to-date information from various parts of theworld.

Tehreem HASAN, who has two masters,
has been an educationist, trainer and resource person for various organizations.
Currently, she works as a resource person
for the Higher Education Commission(HEC), Pakistan. She has also established
an institute which offers academic andcounseling services for 10 to 20-year-old
students.

The elimination of all forms of
discrimination and violence against thegirl child
The theme of the 51st Session of the Commission on the Status of
Women was “The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violenceagainst the girl child.” In 1993 the United Nations issued its Declarationon the Elimination of Violence against Women. Violent acts against
women include battering, rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, humantrafficking, forced prostitution and various traditional customs harmful
to women, particularly female genital mutilation. In addition to physicalharm, violence against women includes sexual and psychological harm.
Girls, because of their youth, are particularly vulnerable to such violent
acts.
Today, more people in the world are giving greater consideration to
the protection of girls’ rights. Yet, boys still receive better and more care
as well as educational opportunities than girls do. Deprived of access to
sufficient care and education, many girls in the world cannot build theircapacity and thereby, gain economic independence. As a result, many
women remain unable to participate in important decision-making regarding their communities and own daily lives. This perpetuates women’s low social status.
To break this vicious cycle and realize gender equality, we must firstlearn the actual situations of women and girls in various countries andregions in the world. As one means to collect information, KFAW will ask
its foreign correspondents to report girls’ situations in their respective
countries, particularly violent acts against girls (showing specific cases)
and initiatives taken in their countries to eliminate such violent acts.

Meeta SINGH is a qualified medical doctor working on community health andpublic policy. She specialized in infection
control and served in the Indian Army asa medical officer. In addition, she heads
the Dignity for the Girl Child Program.
This is a program to curb the social trendof preferring boys to girls to ensure thatgirls can maintain their dignity.

can publicize its opinions in several forms in ranking order of intensity-admonishment, request,
statement and announcement.

THE FORUM WINDOW
Protect Asian Women from the
Tobacco Industry

According the Human Development Index (HDI)(UNDP, 2007/2008), Japan, as in previous years,
was ranked eighth in the world. Although Japan
maintained the top level in terms of average life expectancy, literacy, school enrollment, economic
growth and various other major indicators, in theoverall ranking Japan remained in the next-to-topgroup. While many opinion leaders argue that this isbecause Japan has not yet achieved gender equality,
another essential factor is its high smoking rate.

In March 2008, the Science Council of Japan, an advisory organization to the Japanese government,
submitted to the government a written request titled “To Realize a Tobacco-free Society.” Although
the Japanese government signed and ratified the
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control(WHO FCTC) in 2005, the government’s primary objective was to maintain its honor and reputation ininternational society, rather than to control smoking. Accordingly, the Council urged the government
to take effective measures promptly. The Council

No.53 June 2008

VOKOUMA Jocelyne specialized in history and anthropology. She worked as ajournalist, teacher and technical counselor of human rights before assuming
her current position as Secretary General of the Women Promotion Ministryin Burkina Faso. This is her third consecutive year as a KFAW foreign correspondent.

Currently, smoking is a popular theme of case studies in various academic fields including epidemiolo-

9Bhawana UPADHYAY, program manager
of a relief organization for the poor, is developing and implementing programs related
to gender equality and social development
issues. Before assuming her present position, she was a researcher at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI),
studying problems relating to gender, waterand poverty.

OHAMA Keiko is a Japanese woman who received
her doctorate in pedagogy in China, in recognitionof her comparative studies regarding women’s education in Japan and China. Currently, she is working at a Chinese governmental agency as a foreign
specialist. Concurrently, as a guest researcher ofChina Women’s College, she is engaged in various
collaborations and other projects to create a bridge
between Japan and China.

Val HAM, who specialized in businessand social cultural psychology, is now
running his own business. He is interested in art and music. He also composes music and plays the guitar andthe keyboard. At the same time, he enjoys various sports, especially, basketball and swimming.

Kanthi WIJETUNGE, an Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources
Development, once served as Director, Women’s
Bureau of Sri Lanka. At that time, she promoted
development programs for gender equality. As anational gender trainer, she has also been involved in building national policies to eliminate
all forms of discrimination against women andthe girl child.

Gloria ARLINI is an Indonesian livingin Singapore. She is currently studying for a master’s in sociology at the
National University of Singapore. She
is especially interested in migration,
diaspora, races and religion and social
memory. This is her third consecutive
year as a KFAW foreign correspondent.

gy, medical science, psychology, pedagogy, economics, policy science, industrial science, and trade studies. Moreover, there is an increasing focus on relations between smoking and gender. The number ofmale smokers surpassed that of female smokers.
Due to increased awareness of the health impact
from smoking, however, the men’s smoking rate has
begun decreasing in advanced countries and newly
industrializing economies. Whereas smoking comprises a major problem in the so-called developing
countries, the women’s smoking rate is growing in
advanced countries, as well as in developing countries. The tobacco industry, which is losing its conventional customers, that is, male smokers, is extremely aggressive in developing new markets. Theytarget primarily young people, who the industry expects will long remain customers. Also targeted are

TIANN Monie is supervisor of an educational program organized by the NPO
American Assistance for Cambodia/Japan
Relief for Cambodia (AAfC/JRfC). This NPO
is dedicated to improving the living standards of Cambodian people, particularly the
youth and rural poor. Her primary task isproviding women and girls with education,
so as to protect them from human trafficking, sex work and sexual exploitation.

women, whose smoking rate is relatively low andwho, therefore, offer greater potential than men as
tobacco consumers. Geographically, the industry focuses its marketing efforts on Asia, the region withthe world’s largest population.
The World Health Organization (WHO) never accepts donations from tobacco companies or their affiliates. Like WHO, we consumers should also pay
sufficient attention to the ethical levels of producers.

Junko Otani
Associate Professor, Kyushu University Faculty of Language and Culture; Kyushu University Graduate School of
Human-Environment Studies; and Kyushu University
Asia Center for Policy Studies
KFAW Visiting Researcher

10

No.53 June 2008

Asian Lifestyles
Photos from KFAW Readers

Tempting Tea Aromas (China)

Teruko ISHIDA“YU YUAN”, ahuge garden
built in Ming
Dynasty, is oneof the most famous sightseeing spots inShanghai. It issurrounded byvarious shops.
As today is
Chinese New Year’s Day, many people are coming and going in and around the park. Amongst
this hustle and bustle of Chinese and foreigners,
one calm and peaceful Chinese tea shop caught
my eyes. The aroma of tea hanging in the air
was also an inducement for me to enter the
shop. There, I was greeted by an array of various
Chinese teas on the shelves. I talked about Chinese tea with the salesclerk over a nice cup of
tea which she prepared for me.

Wood carving lecturer

Teruko Ishida grew up aroundthe decorative sculpted sideboards and pillars inside thetemple where she was born. Because of that, she became interested in wood carving. After
turning forty and completing theraising of her children, she happened to see an impressively
carved mirror using an arabesque design at a friend’s
home. Three years later, she started teaching wood
carving to students and carrying out this kind of training in various places. Ishida speaks about the appeal ofwood carving, namely, changing a thin board which has
endured all factor of nature-rain, storms, heat and cold
into articles. She wants her students, as she does, tofeel the power from trees by engaging in wood carving.
Ishida wants them through this power to live energetically.

Masaki KAKEHI, Kitakyushu, JapanKFAW 2009-2010 Recruitment of Foreign Correspondents
KFAW is pleased to announce its 2009-2010 recruitment of foreign correspondents for the purposeof expanding KFAW’s network with other countries in the Asian-Pacific region and collecting
overseas information on women’s status.
environment.” You may not take reports word-for-wordfrom the internet or print media.
Application form: You can download it from our website.
Photographs: Photograph/s related to the report withcaption. Please do not clip the photos in any way. The
photos must be clearly visible. Submitted photos will not
be returned. (This is absolutely required. Please do notforget to forward it by post or e-mail.)
8,000 yen per report.

nine
Applicants must live in other countries outside of Japan.
(However, there is no limitation as to one’s nationality orsex.)
Applicants must participate for one year and turn inreports (including an application report) three times ayear either in Japanese or English.
Applicants must submit the following items to KFAW:
Reports: up to 1,200 Japanese characters or 700 English
words.
Theme: “Your Daily Life: Clothing”
If you are selected as a foreign correspondent, you must
submit other two reports about “dietary life” and “living

Applicants posted by or on February 27, 2009 will be
accepted.
For more information, please visit our website or contact us.

Pyongyang
Beijing

Seoul

KITAKYUSHU OTEMACHI BUILDING 3F
OTEMACHI 11-4, KOKURAKITA, KITAKYUSHU, 803-0814 JAPAN
PHONE 81-93-583-3434 FAX 81-93-583-5195

Tokyo
Kitakyushu

E-mail: kfaw@kfaw.or.jp URL: http://www.kfaw.or.jp/index.html.en
For Asian Breeze, starting from June of 2008, we
will capitalize the last names of persons at the
beginning of our articles. We adopted this policy so
our readers can easily distinguish last names inspite of different customs regarding the writing offamily names.

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 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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