Current Issues Series

Women Today

Women’s Human Rights inMedia Coverage

Welcome to Incheon,
the Women-Friendly City

President, Incheon Development Institute

KIM Min-Bae
In each historical period of Korea’s past, themainstream religion of the day played a key role inshaping Korean society. During the Goryeo Dynasty
period, that religion was Buddhism, and during theJoseun Dynasty period, Confucianism. In modern
times, Christianity has emerged as the religion
influencing Korean society. Nonetheless, it cannot bedenied that Confucian culture remains a powerfulunderlying force that moves and sustains Koreansociety today. From the female perspective, however,Confucianism can hardly be called a feminist or
women-friendly religion, since it was largely responsible
for the formation of Korea’s patriarchal and maledominated social system.
In recent years, there has been an active push toelevate women’s social status and implement genderequality, not only at an academic level but also inpractice. These efforts are reflected in achievements
including a gender-equal education system andpreferential consideration for women in certain
occupations. In Incheon Metropolitan City, there are
3,785 female public officials out of a total of 10,555
public officials. 140 women (33%) hold positions invarious committees, and the city manages a databaseof 2,953 women experts in 14 fields.
Incheon supports the activities of groups for theempowerment of women and protection of women’s
rights. For example, the city, which has 32 active
women’s groups with a combined membership of 72,117,
has held events such as the “All-Women’s School” and“Women’s Leadership Seminar”. In addition, Incheon’s“Smart Woman 2040 Project” aims to nurture 2,040
women leaders of the next generation by the year 2020.
Over the past two years, 242 women have alreadycompleted the course.
Incheon also undertakes systematic efforts topromote the rights of socially vulnerable women. A
Women’s Rights team has been created to channel
administrative resources into confronting anderadicating environments that violate women’s rights,
including domestic violence, sexual abuse andprostitution. There are currently 6 sexual abusecounseling centers, 12 domestic violence counselingcenters and 1 sex trafficking counseling center inoperation.
Another area of focus is enhancing women’s
economic capacity. Entrepreneur schools develop
women’s potential and train them to be primary driversof economic activity. Last year, 100 future entrepreneurs
were trained and a support center for women
entrepreneurs was established with 36 training rooms.

No.65 June 2012

Women also participate in vocational training courses
and 416 women have completed such training.
In order to promote an environment favorable toraising children, Incheon passed the Childcare Act andlaid the groundwork for a free childcare system. To
counteract the low birth rate, KRW7,042,000,000(about USD 6 Milion) has been paid out to 2,348
mothers who gave birth to a third child. The Incheon
Development Institute is strengthening its “Women’s
Policy Center” to spur further research on women andfamily policy issues. On the basis of the “Incheon
Metropolitan City Women’s Development Act”, thecenter plans to split off in 2013 as the independent“Women and Family Research Institute”.
Women-friendly policies are also implemented at
the municipal level. Bupyeong District promotes
policies related to women and is committed tomaintaining a safe and convenient city environment.
This year, a women-friendly campaign was launchedthere including topics such as multicultural families;
sex education for parents and children; school violence
prevention; gender equality and increased social
involvement for stay-at-home wives.
Women have played an instrumental role in Korea’s
economic growth and maturation as an educatednation. Comparatively, they have received little
consideration or reward. Based on such introspectionand experience, efforts are now being made in
infrastructure, institutional and cultural aspects toguarantee the status and rights of women.
Incheon is striving to become a global city with its
international airport, harbor and Free Economic Zone.
Moreover, Incheon serves as a test case for promoting
women-friendly policies related to birth, infant care,childcare, education, work, health and seniors. To
become a truly advanced nation, Korea must thoroughly
implement policies protecting and caring for thesocially disadvantaged. Incheon will pave the way
forward in pursuing even more women-friendly policies
in the future.

Profile of KIM Min-Bae
President of Incheon Development Institute in Korea.
Graduated from Inha University with a Ph.D. in law.
Professor at Inha University Law School and a memberof the Korean Association for Industrial Technology
Security advisory committee.
＊KFAW concluded an Agreement on Exchange andCooperation with Incheon Development Institute on
September 1, 2011.

1

Associate professor, Miyazaki Municipal University.

Yumi SHIKATA

Shikata, who specializes in research of “Genderand Media,” belongs to the Gender andCommunication Network (GCN). In 2009, she joinedin the IWMF (International Women’s MediaFoundation) Global Report on the Status of Womenin the News Media. In FY2010, she served as a KFAW
visiting researcher.

Part 1“Women Victims/Suspects
covered by the Media”
Although many people might seldom think deeply about
accidents and other incidents covered by the media, there
are actually some points that should not to be disregarded
in terms of women’s human rights.
For example, some reports on a sexual crime against awoman include expressions suggesting that the victim
could be blamed, such as “Why did she follow the offender? ”“Why was she in such a place at such a time? ” or “Why was
she wearing such an outfit? ” Other reports emphasize thevictim’s private life, especially her relationships with men.
When repeatedly exposed to such reports as if to doubt thevictim’s innocence, the public may tend to think, “Wasn’t it
the fault of the victim? ” This means that the woman victim
becomes the accused. Another example is the use of theword itazura (mischief), rather than the phrase “sexual
crime,” especially when the victim is a child. That
expression may convey the nuance that the criminal
conduct was less serious than it actually was. Also, reportsthat the victim and the suspect knew each other presents asuggestion that there was fault on the part of the victim.
Behind such reports is a culture with strict sexual
moral standards for women, which has resulted in rapemyths (“the victim is supposed to resist desperately,” “rapes
are not committed by acquaintances,” etc.) and belief in theAdam and Eve Syndrome (“the woman incited the rapist,so she should be blamed”) etc. It can be said that the strictsexual moral standards for women are further reinforcedby the above-mentioned reports, leading to the perspectiveof not only accusing the victim but also downplaying the
responsibility of the offender.
Moreover, even if the case is reported with the female
victim remaining anonymous, her identity is usually
eventually revealed and she is exposed to public attention.
This situation, which can be called “damage inflicted bymedia coverage,” is becoming more and more serious, due
to the recent development of the internet culture. If thevictim is engaged in a certain type of occupation or is aforeigner, there is a tendency for the case to be reported ina more sensational way.
Some say that a criminal case with the victim being awoman is more likely to be reported than when the victim
is a man. Reportedly, this is because crime reporting not
only provides news value in line with the media’s “social
mission” - revealing a crime against the socially vulnerable,
but also includes some type of “entertainment” factor. A
criminal case in which the victim is a child or a woman
presents higher news value in terms of it being a “hottopic.”
What about a case in which the suspect is a woman? In

the case of a child abuse death, the woman suspect isblamed for her “loss of motherhood” and accused of “notdeserving to be a mother.” It might be said that suchaccusations are natural in a way. However, child abuse is
too complex a problem to be solved only by blaming theperson who abused the victim. It is rather more important
to identify the background behind the abuse. Some reports
only blame the suspect, without indicating the backgroundthat forced the offender to commit the abuse. Examples ofsuch backgrounds include isolation in child-rearing andthe poverty of women. The reports are very problematic not
only in terms of human rights but also in terms of
preventing the reoccurrence of such tragedies.
It is interesting to note that there is much media
coverage when a mother is reported as the offender in an
abuse case. In articles on abuse cases reported by the three
Japanese national newspapers from June to August in
2010, 54% of the offenders (suspects) were women. However,according to the summary of a report on child abusereleased by the Metropolitan Police Department (August2010) of parents identified by the police from January toJune, 2010 as committing child abuse, only 26% were
women (while 69% were men). There has been no significant
difference in this ratio for the past ten years. This indicatesthat a case of child abuse committed by a woman is more
likely to be reported by the media than that by a man. It
seems that this has resulted in making the public believethat “instances of child abuse inflicted by mothers are
increasing.” Also, behind such reports is the idea that “thisis not what a mother is supposed to do.” On top of reportingthe crime itself, some news articles have the aspect of a
“witch-hunt” and convey a story about the loss of motherhoodand the absence of a father, causing readers to believe the“myths of motherhood.”
In the past, much crime reporting has been criticizedfrom the aspect of human rights. Unlike in some countries,
where a criminal case is reported with the suspect’s identity
kept anonymous until his/her sentence is finalized, inJapan, media organizations basically use the person’s real
name. There is some dispute over violations of human rights
due to media coverage related to not only revealing thesuspect’s real name but also information relating to his/her
privacy. This also applies to the victim. Furthermore, if thevictim/suspect is a woman, the problem becomes even more
serious due to gender bias. As already indicated by many
researchers, there is a gender bias in the image of womencreated by the media. Such a bias is found also in crime
reporting. It can be said that such reporting promotes thereinforcement of strict sexual moral standards for women.

2No.65 June 2012

Report on Participation in the 56th United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women

KFAW Chief Researcher Masami SHINOZAKI

To exchange information with NGOs from both Japan and overseas and to present its research findings, the Kitakyushu
Forum on Asian Women (KFAW) was accredited with NGO Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC). Since then, it has participated in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held annually at UN
Headquarters in New York. At the recent CSW 56 (February 28 – March 8, 2012), I organized a KFAW parallel event andreported on the “Empowerment of Japanese Rural Women : Under the Globalizing Economy and the Disaster of 3.11.”

February 26
Arrived in New York. Participated in the NGO Consultation.

February 28

NGOs from Japan participating inthis CSW held four events andpresented their information. KFAW’s
is one of them.

8:30 – 10:00 at United Nations Church Center (hereinafter “CC”)
 Attended a parallel event titled “Gender and Disaster in Asia and Pacific” organized by APWW (Asia Pacific
Women’s Watch). Listened to reports on response to disaster and gender situations.
10:30 – 12:00 at CC
Participated in a parallel event titled “Rural Women of America” organized by the American Association of University
Women (AAUW) and listened with interest to presentations by people from small farms in the U.S. on theirsituations.

March 1
12:30 – 13:00 at CC
Briefly visited a parallel event titled “Women’s Roles in Food Security and Sustainable Development: Partnership
Between Rural and Urban Women,” organized by the Rural Women Empowerment and Life Improvement
Association.
13:15 – 14:45 at UN Lawn Building
Participated in a side event with excellent content that was organized by three NGOs from Japan under the theme“Disaster/Reconstruction and Gender Equality.” In this event, attended by 90 people, presentations were made byseven people, including Dr. Nobuko KUROSAKI from Doctors Without Borders. This NGO entered an affected areawith a chartered helicopter on the day following the Great East Japan Earthquake. At this CSW, the Japanese
government proposed elements of a resolution for the first time in the history of the 56 Commissions. This appears
to have been due to concentrated efforts by all the related women’s groups and researchers since the symposium
held on June 11 last year as well as the results of subsequent lobbying.
15:00 –
Participated in a parallel event on the problems of women in farm villages in the Middle East and North Africa(MENA) including female genital mutilation as well as gender inequality in patriarchy and land ownership.

KFAW Asian Researchers Network Seminar
FY 2011 Third Seminar: “Zest for Living: Need forChildren to Acquire Various Experiences”

FY 2011 Second Seminar: Front Line Research on
Volunteer Activities and Non-Proﬁt Organizations
from the Perspective of Welfare Sociology

Date:Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Associate Professor Mana OSHIMA, Liberal Arts andSciences Organization, Kyushu Women’s University

Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Professor Kiyoshi ADACHI, Graduate School of
Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University

Many Japanese children today do not havestrength to live through their lives independently,
because they, in their process of growing, do not havesufficient experiences which are necessary forsocialization. It is, therefore, important to provide
children with opportunities to obtain a zest for living,in other words, a healthy body, a well-roundedcharacter and solid academic prowess. Projects forchildren need to be conducted through the collaborationof schools, families and communities in order for themtoacquirevariousexperiences,suchascommuning with nature,
working together, facing
and overcoming difficulties
and enduring.

Since 1997, when the Non-Profit Organization(NPO) Law was established, there has been rapid
movement toward the transformation of volunteer
groups into incorporated NPOs. At the seminar above,
Professor ADACHI, an expert of welfare and nursing
care of elderly people in Asia, presented front line
theories regarding research on volunteer activities
and NPOs.
Professor ADACHI’s explanation left the audience
with many interesting questions, such as whether theend of volunteer activities was coming; how thetransformation into incorporated NPOs would be
developed in the future; and the relationship between
donations and mutual interests. The seminar was so
informative that many audience members wanted tohear more.

“Japanese Manga andWorld
Report Youth Culture in East Asia”
On Saturday, January 28 2012, the World Report: “Japanese Manga and Youth Culture in East Asia” was held at
the Kitakyushu Municipal Gender Equality Center MOVE. Approximately 100 people attended.
In this session, coordinator Dr. Fusami OGI, professor at Chikushi Jogakuen University, presented
the keynote report on how Japanese Manga has developed. She also spoke about how it has transcended
the boundary between domestic and international markets.

March 2
12:30 – 14:00 at CC Drew Room
Held a KFAW parallel event titled “Empowerment of Japanese Rural Women: Under the Globalizing Economy andthe Disaster of 3.11.”
The event started with my explanation on the emerging TPP problems as well as the damage incurred by theearthquake and nuclear power plant accident impacts on agriculture in Japan. Namely, that both were situations
that could shake the foundations of Japan’s agriculture including food/life safety and security.
Moreover, I explained before the occurrence of this national crisis, the sustainability of agriculture in Japan had
already been jeopardized by such factors as a 50% reduction in agricultural production; the graying and decrease of
successors (particularly women) in agriculture and the increase in abandoned farmlands. I also mentioned the lower
economic status and participation rate in decision-making processes of rural women in Japan.
Briefly, I spoke on the history of political responses to these problems, including enhancing the social status of
women. Then I touched upon the declaration in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan 1992
Vision. Specifically, this vision emphasizes that women engaging in agriculture should be respected as individuals.
Next, I mentioned Article 26 of the New Agricultural Fundamental Law (Equal Participation of Women in
Management) and related points of the Family Management Agreement. Finally, I showed a DVD on family
management.
Ms. OKABE, who is a visiting researcher of KFAW, reported on casesof successful female entrepreneurs in farming and the analysis results ofa questionnaire for female entrepreneurs throughout Japan (as part ofresearch findings by KFAW’s visiting researchers). In the Q&A session,
participants actively asked questions. And Ms. OKABE’s research andanalysis was well received.
18:00 – 20:00
Participated in a briefing to NGOs by the Permanent Mission of Japanto the United Nations held in the building of the Permanent Mission ofJapan.

March 4Returned to Japan.

No.65 June 2012

Of particular note was Japanese Manga for girls, which is distinctively characterized by its uniquedrawing styles. Namely this includes characters with big eyes as well as long arms and legs, drawn inluxurious fashion, and with an exotic atmosphere (black hair and blue eyes). Although such styles fi rst
became popular in the 1950s, they are far from losing their luster with the change of the times. With
the phrase “kawaii” (cute), the styles have been positively received in other countries. It can be said
that these points present a distinguishing feature of Japanese Manga culture different from overseas
comic culture in which the focus is placed on boys.

Dr. OGI also indicated that Japanese Manga demonstrates diversity
and flexibility regarding the gender role description. She said that many more Manga for girls
and women deal with “men and housework (cooking and child-rearing)” as a theme of daily
life.
Dr. OGI’s report was followed by presentations by Dr. KIM Hyo Jin, assistant professor at
Korea University, and Dr. Ming Hung TU, assistant professor at Tamkang University, Taiwan,
Province of China , on how Japanese Manga has become popular in other countries . Their presentations revealed that
Taiwan , Province of China and Korea share a great deal in terms of the infl uence of Japanese Manga , such as the
popularity of Boys Love (BL) Manga (comics for women with the theme of homosexual love) and cosplay (costume play) culture.
The former session was concluded by a presentation, along with a demonstration, by Ms. FOO Swee Chin (FSc), a
Singaporean Manga artist. From the perspective of a Manga creator, she explained how to distinguish between female andmale characters when drawing. She also discussed the identification of the typical differences between Japanese Manga andAmerican comics.
In the latter session, a discussion was held among the above speakers and two students in Kitakyushu City. From theperspective of young people, they exchanged opinions on Manga culture and changing gender awareness. It seems that theevent provided a good opportunity to think again about Japanese Manga culture and gender expression found in Manga.
☆You can download their presentation material from our website.

3▲D emonstration by
FSc, a Singaporean
Manga artist4

http://www.kfaw.or.jp/report/

No.65 June 2012

In 1992, I began working as a civil servant in Incheon Metropolitan City. From 2008 to 2010, I
worked at the International Affairs Department in Kitakyusyu City, under a staff exchange program
between the sister cities of Incheon and Kitakyushu.
Currently, I am busy working as a civil servant with Incheon Metropolitan City and as a motherwith two children.

“Young People’s Job Hunting Activities in Korea
HONG Mi Ok (South Korea)
All over the world it is becoming more and more difficult
to find a job, including in Korea. One of the major social
problems in this country is the high unemployment rate foryoung people. What do young Korean people do to obtain
employment? As preparation for employment, Koreansusually receive language training, such as private English
lessons, and obtain various qualifications. Of particularnote is the trend to take language training in a foreigncountry. Actually, the child of my colleague took a leave ofabsence from the university to go to an English-speaking
country and to study English there. Many Korean people
go abroad to join a language program for six months to one
year, hoping that their language proficiency will improvesomewhat.
Research indicates that women and university
graduates born in the countryside start their job hunting
activities later than other job seekers. Moreover, they tend
to have more qualifications than the others. The same
research reported that, people from high-income families
are more likely to have experienced language training,such as private English lessons, than the others.
According to a survey conducted by a job-seeking portal
website, the companies that are most popular among
university students today are major ones. They include
SAMSUNG Electronics followed by Kookmin Bank, KoreanAir, NHN, CJ Chiel Jedang, POSCO, SAMSUNG Mobile
Display, and other companies.
Now, I would like to mention Korean women’s awarenessof employment. According to a research paper, 98.6% offemale university students wish to have careers in their
future. This is because it is regarded as natural in Korea
for female students to have careers after graduation. Also,
the research paper reveals that while more than half offemale students wish to ensure full-time jobs, 42.0% prefera more flexible form of employment, such as being afreelancer or part-time worker. Moreover, 27.4% of female
students who prefer employment as a part-time worker
state that they want to secure time for their family as thereason. Meanwhile, the typical occupations that female
students wish to take up are those related to educationsuch as teachers and tutors (17.9%), researchers including
professors (8.2%), public servants (7.6%) and generaladministrative staff (7.5%). These occupations have been
traditionally regarded as suitable for most women. It seems
that female students think that these occupations arestable and they can take them up with relatively lessinvestment of time. In my personal opinion, women today
are far more active in job hunting activities than in thepast. I believe that almost all women wish to havecareers.
In conclusion, job hunting by young people in Korea has
become increasingly difficult. In order to be morecompetitive, many are strengthening their English
language skills overseas through six months to one year
programs. Young people aim for large companies with good
benefits and more than half of female students want towork full time. These trends in turn have an important
impact on the South Korean labor force.

I came to Japan in 2006 to study in the Department of Applied Science for Integrated System
Engineering at Kyusyu Institute of Technology’s graduate school. I am a student as well as a father
with two children. Consequently, I am carrying out household chores and child-rearing activities.
In the hope that people in Japan will learn much more about Indonesia, I am actively engaged incommunity activities.

Parental Attitudes Impact on Education Past and Present
MUKHAMAD Subkhan (Indonesia)
Parents’ treat boy and girl children differently. Girlsare educated in preparation for marriage, while boys aresent to school in preparation to obtain a profession. Aftergirls are allowed into school, they are directed to major inhousehold economics or caring for children. The selection ofsubjects or kind of lessons adopted reflect traditional views
regarding the roles of women and men. Subject areas are
divided-some specifically for men and others for women.
Indonesian parents have been carrying out this kind of
separate treatment of children by gender up until 20 years
ago. Parents, including mothers, take men’s receipt ofbenefits as natural.
This is reflected in the phrase or proverb as follows:“Boys should not cry”, “Act like a boy”, “He is a really boy.”
Instead a daughter is called a “satru mungging cangklakan”,
meaning that a daughter is a heavy burden for parents.
These examples show the lack of consciousness about
how family education is reinforcing masculine culture. As
the male-female dichotomy persists, females are always
overshadowed by the so called superiority of men.
The above description describes the state of women ingeneral in the past. However, the Indonesian women’ssituation today is much different. Namely, they are also
required to participate actively in national development.
Indonesian women, including those that are married, areseeking opportunities to maximize their potential.
Around 30-40 years ago, sending daughters to school
was like sending them “on the road to perdition”. However,girls today are free to enter their desired school. After
successfully completing their studies in high school oruniversity, most young women; enter the workforce to holda particular profession. For women, the selection of aprofession is not only limited to teachers, midwives, nurses,
doctors, heads of various orphanages, but also includes
other areas previously monopolized by men. Some examplesof the latter area are armed forces; the world of modern
business and computer services; notary services; media
business; catering; business public relations; marketing
research; arts business and theater. Now, a female
occupying the highest leadership in the university or
becoming the dean of the faculty is regarded as a natural
thing. Furthermore, the increased participation of womenin political activities both in the legislature and executive
should be noted.
The transitioning up until the 20th Century from theperiod of passive women to that of active women did nottake place suddenly. In the transition period, many women
devoted themselves to social activities via organizations
both at central and regional levels. Moreover, diversity inreligion, customs, education and lifestyles along withefforts to advance women were tailored to local
circumstances. Finally, it can be concluded that the
women’s movement is the most powerful driving force forchange in women’s lives.

Female Soldiersin the IndonesianArmy (Koran Baru
newspaper)▲

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ REPORTS “Youth Culture and Gender Equality Today”☆Other correspondents’reports are available at KFAW website.

http://www.kfaw.or.jp/correspondents/

Visit to Incheon Development Institute

KFAW, UN Women Secretariat in Kitakyushu, hosted Lecture Program

Incheon Metropolitan City, renowned for Incheon International Airport, has apopulation of 2.75 million. As Korea’s third largest city after Seoul and Busan,
Incheon continues to develop.
In 2003, the city was appointed as the country’s first free economic zone (FEZ),
spurring efforts to attract global companies and establish various facilities inSongdo and other designated areas. In 2009, the Visit Incheon 2009 campaign was
promoted, and the Incheon World City Expo was held. In 2014, the Incheon AsianGames will be held. As these indicate, Incheon is today one of the most exciting
cities in Korea.
▲With President KIM and researchers
KFAW visited Incheon Development Institute (IDI) to conclude an Agreement on(Incheon Development Institute)Exchange and Cooperation. IDI is a think tank that conducts surveys and research
regarding the city’s medium-to-long-term development plans and policy issues. Featuring approximately 40 researchers,
the organization includes the Incheon Women’s Policy Center, which deals with policies for women and families.
It is expected that the agreement concluded last September will promote citizen interactions, including developmentof female community leaders, based on the sister city relationship between Incheon Metropolitan City and Kitakyushu
City.

UN Women was established in January 2011 as a result of the merger of four UN Womenorganizations, which had conducted their activities individually, including the United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). UN Women now serves as a strong organization representing
the U.N. for promoting the rights of women and girls all over the world.
On March 31, a lecture titled “Compass of Women in the World – The Present and Future of UN
Women” was delivered by Ms. Makiko ARIMA, President of the UN Women Japan National Committee.
The lecture focused on changes brought by the transformation from the UNIFEM to UN Women andidentified now, one year after establishment of UN Women, as well as activities to be promoted in the▲Ms. ARIMA
future.
President ARIMA first explained about UN Women, the career of Ms. Michelle BACHELET, UN Women Executive
Director, and Japan’s participation in the new organization. This was followed by a detailed description of theorganization’s strategic purposes: 1) enhancement of women’s participation; 2) economic empowerment for women; 3)elimination of violence against women; 4) women’s leadership in peace, security, and humanity responses; 5) genderconsideration in national planning and budgeting; and 6) establishment of global norms, policies and standards.
The lecture presented a guiding principle for activities to be promoted in communities in the future and provided aninvaluable opportunity to learn more about the current movement in the U.N.

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No.65 June 2012

No.65 June 2012

ISSN 0918-8266

Activities by Dating DV Prevention Education Facilitators
Dating DV prevention education facilitators who completed KFAW’s training program have commenced theiractivities in communities.
In FY 2009, KFAW was commissioned by Kitakyushu City to conduct a survey on the needs of dating DV
prevention education. In FY 2010, based on the survey results, KFAW promoted a voluntary training program fordating DV prevention education facilitators. The program was very practical, featuring not only lessons of related
laws and regulations and basic knowledge and skills necessary for facilitators, but also a simulation classexercise. Fourteen persons participated in the program at their own expense and completed it successfully.
Last fiscal year, again under commission from Kitakyushu City, KFAW promoted a project to dispatch dating
DV prevention lecturers to various facilities. Offering dating DV prevention education for high schools, universities
and technical/vocational schools in and around Kitakyushu City, KFAW held a total of 22 lectures at such
facilities for approximately 5,000 students during the eight months from last August. The facilitators were
engaged in the project by delivering lectures and supporting the program logistics.
The above project to dispatch lecturers was the fi nal step of KFAW’s three-year efforts relating to dating DV
prevention education, comprising identification of the needs for such education at schools through a survey; thedevelopment and training of facilitators, and the actual provision of dating DV prevention education at educational
facilities.
In the future, it is expected that each facilitator will continue dating DV prevention education activities atschools and in communities. Facilitators as well will disseminate her experience as a facilitator not only acrossJapan but also other parts of Asia. At the same time, KFAW will continue to promote a wide variety of activities
to develop female resources who can establish themselves in their communities.

I didn’t know that ignoring
my partner and getting
angry about my partner
not answering my e-mails
are both dating DV.
A Facilitator delivering a lecture toStudents

I was surprised to know thatwhat I’ve regarded so far as
an expression of love isactually dating DV.

Group Work “Let’s think about it
together!”

The opinionsof participantsin KFAW Dating
DV Prevention
class

I should act considering myfeelings as well as those ofpeople around me.

I think it’s important tosay clearly “No” towhat I don’t like.
Active Facilitators

Using Manga and Presenting
Examples of Dating DV

Location of
Kitakyushu

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

DalianBeijing

Seoul

Tokyo
Kitakyushu

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

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This copy is printed with environment-friendly soy ink.

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