KITAKYUSHU FORUM ON ASIAN WOMEN NOVEMBER 2006

Triannual Publication

WOMEN TODAY …………………………

RESEARCH REPORT…………………… $JICA SEMINAR…………………………… !

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS REPORTS… CURRENT ISSUES SERIES …………… "FORUM WINDOW ……………………… 

KFAW COLLEGE………………………… #INFORMATION…………………………… 

NO.

48

NOVEMBER 2006

Women
Today After Beijing + 10
-The Road Ahead

Patricia B. Licuanan, Ph.D.
President of Miriam College,
Philippines
Co-chair of South East Asia
Women Watch (SEAWWatch)With countries, the whole UN system andinternational financial institutions focusing on the
MDGs, there is need to strategically link the
Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) and theConvention on the Elimination of All Forms ofDiscrimination Against Women (CEDAW) with the
MDGs’ goal of engendering all eight goals. It must
be affirmed that gender equality is central to theachievement of all MDGs. Development policies
and actions which fail to address gender inequality
will have limited effectiveness. Country leveltargets for MDGs have to be expanded to cover all
major domains of gender equality and women’s
empowerment.
CEDAW must be seen as the most importantinternational agreement concerning women’shuman rights. Alternatively, BPFA, the document
which was intensely negotiated and then ratified byconsensus at the UN Fourth World Conference on
Women, contains a comprehensive set of strategies
and actions to concretize and enhance the goals of
CEDAW. The MDGs in turn, for all their current
limitations represent a significant expression of
measurable time-bound goals and targets.
Finally, we must get involved in the UN reform
process and fight for the appropriate genderarchitecture in the UN. Namely, we should beplaced high enough in the structure to influencesystem-wide policies and to monitor implementation;
exact accountability as well as ensure coherence andsynergy of strategies/activities for maximum results.
Of course, sufficient human and financial resources
to carry out this mandate is also needed.
The challenge of gender equality and women’s
rights and empowerment requires much work
under conditions far less favorable than when we
started this journey in the ’90s and earlier. But therough and bumpy road ahead must not deter us.
We must stay the course. Staying the course will
require work in four major areas: political,
professional, partnerships and personal.
The political work required is continued advocacy
for women’s rights.
While we pragmatically work with the MDGs wemust ensure that the rights framework of Beijing
and CEDAW and even the Millennium Declaration
remain paramount. Professional and technical

The road toward Beijing and the UN Fourth World
Conference on Women in 1995 was rough andbumpy. After more than 10 years of imperfect andinadequate implementation of the Beijing Platform
for Action, after the Beijing +5 and Beijing +10
reviews, I daresay that the road ahead from Beijing+10 is even rougher and bumpier. The environmentis less friendly, even hostile. Our institutions
weaker and our goals more diffused. Our favorite
strategies have begun to show their flaws. Finally,
there are serious issues that have emerged since
Beijing that we now have to face.
We must confront the new conservative backlashfrom governments that were champions of women’s
empowerment in Beijing.
New right-wing
governments have withdrawn major support for
women and have been exerting pressure to revisit
commitments made. The moral authority andeffectiveness of the United Nations is in serious
question. The participation of civil society in UN
meetings has been severely diminished. There aremajor global trends that have important impacts on
women’s lives, such as, religious and ethnic
fundamentalisms, growing armed conflict, and therise of terrorism.
It is time to review favorite strategies that overtime have begun to reveal their serious flaws. Byfar, the favorite post-Beijing strategy for genderequality has been gender mainstreaming. Recent
voices have pointed to disturbing developments inthe name of gender mainstreaming.
Gendermainstreaming is suffering from lack of conceptual
clarity and from possible misuse in the hands ofthose whose commitment to women’s empowerment
and gender equality may be suspect. At the very
least, some recent moves in the name of gendermainstreaming may be premature. It is time that
we confront these issues on gender mainstreaming.
We need to systematically assess how gendermainstreaming is being interpreted andimplemented. We must consider what are theresults of these issues. We must not allow gendermainstreaming to be co-opted and wrenched awayfrom the goals of gender equality andempowerment of women.
We must face the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) as both a challenge and an opportunity.

No.48 November 2006

2

JICA Seminar on
Gender Mainstreaming Policies
for Government Officers

work particularly on data and indicators isnecessary if we are to engender the MDGs. Morework has to be done at the country, regional andglobal levels to develop gender indicators that
relate to all of the MDGs as well as to analyze the“quality of equality” i.e. the process that brings it
about, the nature of the outcomes, and women’s
own sense of agency and power. We must build,nurture and strengthen partnerships: partnerships
with men; with other women inside or outside thewomen’s movement; with technocrats and activists;
with mainstream NGOs and other social
movements. We must seek as well therevitalization of the women’s movement throughregeneration of our networks and coalitions by
seeking younger women to take our place. We
should review our partnership with the UN andstake our claim in its reform.
Finally, it is necessary that we work on ourselves.
While in general, our commitment to our cause hasremained strong, we must admit moments of
discouragement, weariness and even boredom.
Over the years, women activists have begun toreflect upon and turn to the spiritual dimension of
their lives---the transcendent, the spirit within us
which will help strengthen our movement and help
us continue the work. So let us care for andnurture ourselves.
Indeed the road ahead is not strewn with flowers.
But we must stay the course.
Despite ourdisappointments with Beijing, despite ourreservations about the MDGs, despite frustrations
and setbacks, a better world is still possible forwomen and we must all do our part to achieve it.
More power to all of us!

In fiscal 2002, the Kitakyushu Forum on Asian
Women (KFAW) organized the Seminar on Gender
Mainstreaming Policies for Government Officers
for the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA). This seminar fosters the ability of
governmental officers to create effective andcomprehensive policies which mainstream genderbased perspectives to address various problems indeveloping countries.

▲Ms. Masako Ota, KFAW senior researcher lectures seminar participants.

This year, seven trainees from Bosnia andHerzegovina, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Nepal, Peru,
Senegal and Uruguay, participated in KFAW’s 4
week seminar (June 16 - July 14, 2006). Trainees
attended various programs designed to help create
gender-equal societies.
Seminar programs included lectures on economics,
education, health promotion, environmental
protection, administration and human rights, etc.
In addition, participants were given opportunities
to learn firsthand about both the national and local
governmental systems in Japan as well as the workof governmental officers.
While introducing
Japan’s situation to the trainees, we organizers, byexecuting this seminar, were able to learn aboutcomparative situations in each trainee’s country.
On the final day, we opened a country reportpresentation meeting to the general public.
Trainees gave reports on education, administrationand gender issues in their respective countries.
Despite limited time for each presentation, theaudience was able to learn about various issues inall seven countries.

ProfilePatricia B. Licuanan is a social psychologist,
educator and women’s empowerment activist. Herteaching, research and practice in social psychology
focus on human factors in the national
development process, education and educational
reform, social issues, human resource development
and gender issues.
She was Chair of the United Nations Commission
on the Status of Women (UNCSW) as the
preparatory commission for the UN Fourth World
Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in
1995. At the Conference she chaired the Main
Committee which negotiated the Beijing Platform
for Action. She has headed regional women’s
networks such as the Asia Pacific Women’s Watch(APWW) and South East Asia Women Watch(SEAWWatch) which are involved in advocacy forand monitoring of the implementation of the
Beijing Platform for Action.

▲At Kitakyushu Airport on the way back from KFAW seminar sessions in Tokyo3

No.48 November 2006

Current Issues Series
The Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake (3)Women’s Participation in Disaster Reduction
and Post-Disaster Reconstruction
At the United Nations World Conference on Disaster
Reduction (WCDR), held in Kobe in January 2005,
the Japanese government announced its Initiatives
for Disaster Reduction. The Initiatives’ basic policies
are to promote gender-sensitive perspectives.
Specifically, the Initiative stipulates as follows:“Women are more vulnerable to disasters than men
are because of existing gender-related imbalance invarious aspects, including the levels of participationin policymaking and economic activities, along withaccess to information. It is therefore essential tosupport women in every aspect of disaster reduction
from gender-sensitive perspectives.” In July 2005,
the Japanese government revised the Basic Disaster
Prevention Planning to incorporate gender-sensitive
perspectives. A Cabinet Office taskforce to study the“Basic Plan for Gender Equality” will also initiate
studies of gender equality within the context ofdisaster reduction and post-disaster reconstruction.
●Operation of Shelters immediately after the Great
Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
Of the 310,000 victims, whose houses collapsed orwere damaged by the earthquake, 180,000 took
shelter at school buildings.
Although various
surveys have been conducted regarding the roles ofshelter leaders. Few of these surveys reported on
the gender ratio of the same leaders. According tothe only extant record, which was prepared by
Ashiya City, only two female leaders out of a total of
25 leaders for 25 shelters in Ashiya. This kind ofgender imbalance is partly attributable to theautomatic selection of men, who are community andor local volunteer group leaders, as shelter
representatives. Another factor involves the majorityof women not being able to fulfill a leader’s
responsibilities due to their family obligations.
Although many study reports were prepared on
disaster and post-disaster situations, few suchreports contain gender-based data or analyses.
Although natural disasters hit everyone at the sametime, the damage men and women they receive andthe speed at which they recover respectively isdifferent. When a tsunami attacked the coast ofIndian Ocean on December 26, 2004, it again proved
this point.
●Participation of Women in Disaster Reduction
and Post-Disaster Reconstruction Planning
The image of women as only victims or vulnerable
people is also biased. Immediately after the Great
Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, I saw many womenrunning to collapsed houses with hand saws to
rescue victims trapped under the houses; exerting
leadership by cooking hot meals to share with otherNo.48 November 2006

Ms. Reiko Masai
Representative,
Women’s Net Kobe

victims; and organizing volunteer groups dedicatedto washing laundry. Such women were amazingly
powerful and energetic. They knew exactly what
other victims needed and allocated limited resources
adequately by organizing groups and networks withgreat flexibility. Women’s knowledge and abilities
are essential for various post-disaster programs.
The earthquake destroyed a lot of communities. Thissituation still impacts heavily on our daily lives anddiscourages recovery from mental stress. Presently,
mostly women support daily life in these local
communities. However, men in their prime engage inreconstruction programs which emphasize therebirth of big cities above local communities. If
women participated in local reconstruction
programs, how important the rebirth of local
communities is would be emphasized.
In this context, I believe that the national and local
governments must execute the following measures:(1) select women as members responsible fordecision-making regarding disaster reduction andpost-disaster reconstruction planning; employ
women as leaders of reconstruction programs, (2)adopt concrete measures to ensure women’s
participation in decision-making by clearly
publicizing numerical targets and the target period,(3) seek and use women’s knowledge and expertise
accumulated through their participation incommunity and NPO activities, (4) provide training
on gender issues for staff members who will bedispatched for rescue and relief activities as well as
to post-disaster reconstruction; and (5) dispatch
women to disaster sites when this is deemed as
appropriate.
Disaster reduction is deeply related to daily efforts.
Residents should constantly review whether or not
the town they live in has advanced welfare
programs; whether or not the town authority is
actively promoting gender-equality; and people intheir society respect human rights. A society where
women are overly “protected” in the name of “respectof femininity” is a society where inequality between
men and women is deeply embedded. Moreover,such a society is extremely vulnerable to disasters.
Although in Japan most social services are currently
provided to households, rather than to individuals,
this system should also be revised so that both single
and married women can access such services. Every
woman has a right to lead an independent andsecure life even if she is not married or does not havechildren.

4K F A W College

An Analysisof Iraqi Issues
This year, KFAW College organizes seminars on the Middle East, inviting specialists on various countries in theregion, including Jordan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq. Although we hear news daily about the Middle East, many
Japanese people feel incidents taking place there are not their immediate concern. This is attributable to thepsychological, rather than geographical factors. With this in mind, KFAW College decided to hold seminars on the
Middle East, hoping that these events will help audiences develop a deeper understanding of and greater affinity
for this region.
For the seminar held on July 17, 2006, we invited Ms. Keiko Sakai, professor of the Graduate School of Area andCulture Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Her academic career has focused on politics in Iraq andother Middle East countries. During her lecture at KFAW College, Ms. Sakai discussed Iraq’s political situation in
the context of national reconstruction after the announced termination of the Iraq War in May 2003; deployment of
the Japanese Self Defense Forces and the current situation in the Middle East at large.

In addition to the Japanese Ground Self Defense
Forces (GSDF), other countries’ troops are now
withdrawing from Iraq, including many that werepart of the multinational forces. Hearing such news,
many Japanese feel that Iraq has stabilized, with theenactment of its Constitution and the establishmentof Iraqi Parliament and government. Despite suchan image, Ms. Sakai asserted that Iraq remains
unstable. Since the bombing of the Golden Mosque inFebruary 2006, the death toll of Iraqi people has been
rapidly increasing, due primarily to conflicts between
different religious and ethnic sects. According to Ms.
Sakai, in the past, Iraqi society was basically freefrom these kinds of armed conflicts. Before May
2003, individuals with outstanding abilities held
governmental posts. In the context of post-war
reconstruction, posts (and power) have become closelyaligned with religious and ethnic sects. According to
Ms. Sakai, religious and ethnic conflicts have become
severer because every sect desires posts and power.
In July 2006, the Japanese government withdrew its
GSDF troops which were stationed in Iraq for two
and a half years. According to polls conducted bynews agencies, throughout the past two and a halfyears, a high percentage of local residents in Iraq
continued to support the presence of the GSDF.
If we evaluate services provided by the GSDF alone,
Ms. Sakai maintained it is difficult to assert that
their activities have boosted the economy of Iraq or
Samawah, where the troops were stationed. The
GSDF troops purified river water and supplied cleanwater to households in Samawah.
Ms. Sakaisuggested that instead of deploying these forces,
Japan could have allocated its funds forreconstruction through ODA. Through the lattermeans, she believes, Japan could have helped Iraqi
people more efficiently. She also suggested that
underlying Iraqi people’s “support” for the presenceof the Japanese Self Defense Forces reflected their
expectations for increased Japan’s ODA.
In tandem with the withdrawal of troops, many
countries decided to stop aiding Iraq. In thisenvironment, the Japanese government will continue
its aid which basically consists of yen loans. Ms.
Sakai believes continuing such aid is vitally
important to prevent the rise of the radical religious
and ethnic groups due to failed economic
reconstruction by the government.
Individual
citizens cannot live alone in hunger and poverty.
They all need support from the government. If thegovernment fails to provide sufficient services to its
people, radical religious and ethnic groups are likely
to provide charity care instead. In this way, thesegroups are likely to gain poor people’s support,
increasing these groups’ membership and power.
According to Ms. Sakai, the best way to avoid
disruqtions caused by such groups is to help reinforce
the administrative functions of the Iraqi government.
In other words, international aid for economic
reconstruction is essential for the stabilization of
Iraqi society.

5No.48 November 2006

Research Report

Expressive Arts Therapy Applied Research Method
Dr. Akihiko Morita
Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology / Visiting Researcher, Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women

1. Quest for a Research Technique that Is Reliable, Validand Non-coercive

women often oppose inspectors regarding official
recognition of such women as “victims” of humantrafficking. According to Japan Network Against
Trafficking in Persons (JNATIP) and International
Labor Organization (ILO) Tokyo Office surveys3,
there are only a few typical, or indisputable victimsof human trafficking. As indicated by interviews
carried out by the JNATIP, many “victims” believethat they came to their destination country of theirown free will. Even after recognizing that they weredeceived by traffickers, many often choose to stay inthe destination country. This is because they believe
they could never return home until they makesufficient money. Moreover, as long as they can sendsome money to their families, many victims tend toendure as much as they can. Accordingly, there aremany “trafficked” women who are not officiallyrecognized as “victims.” Since official recognition asa victim impacts significantly on an individual
woman’s future life, the definition of victim status
should seriously be considered by all related parties.

I have been engaged in activities aimed at theeradication of human trafficking1. Through thisexperience, I realized the importance of conveying
victims’ voices to policymakers. Subsequently, I
thought about holding interviews with victims ofhuman trafficking, primarily women from developing
countries who are employed as sex workers in Japan.
At the same time, I pondered how to interview
victims fairly and equally. Namely, this would
involve the application of a method that is noncoercive and non-exploitative from the victims’ view
points. At the same time, this method would
maintain the reliability and validity of interviews.
The very act of interviewing human trafficking
victims is influenced by the disparity of power
between interviewer and victim. In this situation,
the former is more powerful. Occasionally, the act ofinterviewing can be seen as “exploitation” of thevictims. When a researcher interviews a victim,
telling her that his purpose is to clarify the reality
about human trafficking, can he use the information
gained in such an interview for his academic paper?
If that paper is written solely for his own academic
achievement, and not as a form of support for thevictims, is he “exploiting” them?

There are two different views or approaches to thisgap between women’s personal perceptions and amore objective judgment of their situation, i.e.,
whether or not they are truly “victims” of humantrafficking. Advocates of the first approach suggestthat even if women decided to go to destination
countries to work as sex workers of their own freewill, in actuality, they were forced to make thatdecision because of the economic disparity between
developing and advanced countries. Accordingly,
advocates of the first approach believe that the
women should be regarded as victims of exploitation,even if they made their own decisions. On the other
hand, advocates of the second approach argue thathigher priority should be placed on women’s own will
and perceptions of their own situations.

The most common answer to this question is “no.”This is because many believe that scientific studies
are necessary to gain objective knowledge abouthuman trafficking.
Many people believe that
researchers should be objective, rather thansympathetic, since they should provide non-biased
and accurate knowledge that is absolutely necessary
for seeking solutions. The public expects that antitrafficking policies should be determined based onrational, scientific studies by specialists, such as,
scientists and therapists2.

If we take the first approach, it becomes easier torescue trafficked women whose human rights arebeing badly violated, irrespective of their intentions.
This approach is effective and valid when in
actuality women were forced to decide to go todestination countries, without even knowing thatthey were forced to, and believe that they voluntarily
decided to go there. The second approach, on theother hand, is essential for distinguishing humantrafficking from illegal entry/departure to/fromcountries. However, in the case women originallyagreed to go to destination countries but were then

However, I cannot help but ask myself whether or
not we may ignore victims’ mental trauma and pain.
Interviews and “objective” surveys often aggravatesuch a negative impact on the part of victims. Is
there any survey method that ensures reliability andvalidity, while avoiding harm or “exploitation” of
victims who are already suffering from mental
trauma ?
In the case of human trafficking, many “trafficked”

No.48 November 2006

6

reliability and validity of the stories they tell. I am
currently exploring one candidate for such survey
methods; namely, a research technique using“expressive arts therapy.”

exploited violently, these women have become
victims of human trafficking after illegally entering
their destination countries. Another problem withthis approach is that we must determine whether or
not these women were given sufficient information
before making their own decisions. I found thatmany women were aware that they would have towork as sex workers. However, it was only after
their arrival in Japan did they learn that they had
incurred fictitious debts of millions of yen. In suchcases, we cannot support the argument that the
women are responsible for their present situations.
However, this second approach demonstrates
effectively that many women are subject to
exploitation and violent acts, even when they do not
fully meet the criteria for human trafficking victims.

Expressive arts therapy means not only the so-calledarts therapy that uses visual arts (painting,sculpture, clay molding, collage, etc.), but also dance
and movement therapy (expression through body
movements), music therapy (expression throughmusic, sound and voice), writing therapy (expression
in forms of poetry, verse and prose), and drama
therapy (expression through acting and performance).
In short, expressive arts therapy is a comprehensive
type of arts therapy, using a diverse media of arts.
Expressive arts therapy was developed by Natalie
Rogers, the daughter of Carl Rogers, who is wellknown for his Person-centered Approach. Natalie
Rogers developed this therapy based on her belief
that only in a psychologically safe environment
where we are assured of not being analyzed or
criticized by others, can we discover our inner self.
And then we can express this inner self with fullcreativity and vitality, using non-verbal media(visual arts, movement and dance, music and sounds,
voice, drama, writing, etc.).

Further discussions, however, may lead us to therecognition of the fact that these two approaches do
not opposite, but complement each other. Whomeverthese women explain their experiences to, whether it
is police, immigration officers or counselors, what
they tell is “fiction” rather than fact. When they talkabout their experiences, they tend to select,intentionally or unintentionally, what to tell andwhat not to.
As indicated by Chizuko Ueno,
vulnerable people who are questioned by inspectors
tend to create stories that their listeners (inspectors)
would like to hear4. Accordingly, however “objective”
the police reports might appear to be, they are likely
to be stories embellished by the storytellers to please
the listeners.

According to Carl Rogers, there are three conditions
that therapists should meet: (1) unconditional
positive regard, (2) empathic understanding and (3)congruence. The expressive arts therapy has beendeveloped by assimilating these concepts. I believethat vulnerable people, such as victims of humantrafficking, are likely to tell their life stories more
openly and freely if expressive arts therapy isprovided by a therapist who satisfies the three
conditions listed by Carl Rogers. In other words, assuggested by Chizuko Ueno, vulnerable people nevertell their real experiences unless they believe that
listeners share and respect their feelings4.
Expressive arts therapy also shares features with aform of play therapy for children5. Use of various
arts media enables victims to express their emotions
and experiences that they cannot express in a single
medium. Moreover, use of multiple media brings
about synergy, enabling deeper contemplation of self
and greater self-expression. In this sense, we canconsider the theatrical play performed at theworkshop, we held in the Philippines in December
2005, as a type of research using expressive arts
therapy technique. The play was performed with thecooperation of the Philippine Educational Theater
Association (PETA) and Development Action for
Women Network (DAWN)6. Based on the results ofthe play, we believe that theatrical and other artistic
expressions using expressive arts therapy can help
heal victims of human trafficking.

In questioning victims of human trafficking, it isessential that inspectors ensure that victims feelcompletely free to describe whatever they had
experienced.
In this sense, finding a survey
technique that allows victims to talk freely with selfconfidence and peace of mind is therefore essential
for objective inspection. Such a technique can
support objective survey, which is primarily based on
the second approach but at the same timecomplemented by the first approach.
1 As a staff member of UNICEF in Japan (1997 to 2004) as
well as a steering committee member of the Japan
Network Against Trafficking in Persons (JNATIP), I havebeen combating the problem of human trafficking.
2 S. McNamee and K. J. Gergen, Therapy as Social
Construction, Sage Publications Ltd, 1992.
3 ILO Office Japan: Human Trafficking for Sexual
Exploitation in Japan, 2004.
4 Chizuko Ueno, Nationalism and Gender, Trans Pacific
Press, 2004.

2. Preparatory Discussion of a Research Techniqueemploying Expressive Arts Therapy

5 Play therapy is a psychotherapy for children, in which
various media of arts are used including drawing;
hakoniwa (sand play technique); playing games; singing
songs; playing musical instruments; dancing, performing
ceremonies and storytelling.

My next question is what types of survey techniques
allow victims to talk freely, with self-confidence andpeace of mind, while concurrently maintaining the7

No.48 November 2006

6 Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), a
private theatrical company established in the Philippines
in 1967, has thus far performed at least 300 original plays
in Tagalog. At the same time, PETA holds workshops on
drama making children, students, teachers, women,
farmers and NGOs. Development Action for Women
Network (DAWN) was established in 1996 to support
Filipino women working in Japan and Japanese FilipinoChildren (JFC) in every way.

story interviews.
Using this method, theseresearchers believe that they can clarify social reality.
One research method representing the realism
method is the Grounded Theory Approach (GTA),
which is currently attracting keen attention. As aqualitative survey method, the GTA was developed
during the 1960s by the American Sociological
Association. According to Yasuhito Kinoshita, GTA
is a qualitative survey method designed to induce anoriginal theory from data analyses.
Essential
conditions for analyses comprise coding methods
such as ① open coding and ② axial and selective
coding, together with ③ constant comparative
analyses, ④ theoretical sampling, and ⑤ theoreticalsaturation (which indicates time to terminate
analyses). Of those, the constant comparative
analyses are the most important. “Coding” refers to
a process of compiling data systematically while
categorizing them. “Theoretical saturation” refers to
the moment when important concepts are no longer
generated from constant comparative analyses. In
addition, it means no further issues need to be
confirmed by collecting additional data fortheoretical sampling. Generally, GTA is believed toeffectively explain and predict human behaviors anddirect human interactions within limited boundaries.
On the other hand, researchers using the narrative
approach consider that life stories should be an
outcome of the collaboration between interviewers
and speakers. From these researchers’ perspectives,
life stories should not always be consistent. Instead,these researchers respond positively to the additionof new aspects to previously told stories.
Researchers of the narrative approach are fully
aware that in addition to the above life stories
related by the speakers according to specific plots,
there can be other stories created throughmetacommunication that reflect social relations
between the speaker and the interviewer.

3. Theoretical Analysis of Research Employing Expressive
Arts Therapy(1) Research employing Expressive Arts Therapy as a Qualitative
Survey Method
Sociological surveys dealing with people as study
targets are generally classified into quantitative andqualitative surveys. In quantitative surveys, a fixedpattern is employed for both questions and survey
methods so that the same survey can be conducted
repeatedly. Similar survey results can be obtained
irrespective of researchers who conduct the survey.
In short, the quantitative survey is designed toensure objectivity. In contrast, a qualitative survey
is not designed to gain the same results. As typicallyevidenced in life story interviews, even the same
speaker may tell different stories at different
interviews by the same interviewer, or they may tell
new stories to different interviewers.
According to definitions by Atsushi Sakurai, the“reliability” of a survey refers to the rate of gaining
similar results from multiple surveys conducted bydifferent researchers. “Validity” refers to the rate ofcorrect results gained from a survey, or in otherwords, the fulfillment level of survey goals and theresearchers’ expectations. In addition, Sakurai
suggests that if we standardize conventional
quantitative survey patterns so that we can use thesame pattern repeatedly, such surveys will havehigher reliability. If we have higher reliability, heassumes that this naturally leads to higher validity.
On the other hand, Sakurai argues that such astandard for reliability is not applicable toqualitative surveys, such as, life story interviews. Asan alternative standard, Sakurai proposes that
researchers engaged in qualitative surveys shouldseek “transparency” of basic survey processes,
ranging from data collection to analyses.

Returning to the discussion of my own researchmethod employing expressive arts therapy forinterviews with human trafficking victims, I believethat this approach is close to the narrative approachor what Sakurai called the interactive andconstructive approach. Whereas questioning by
police and immigration officers shares similar
characteristics with the realism approach or theinterpretative and objective approach, research using
expressive arts therapy is designed to deepen
understanding of the perception of human trafficking
victims regarding their own experiences.

Among the qualitative survey methods, there arewhat we call the “realism approach” and “narrative
approach.” Sakurai interprets the former as aninterpretative and objective approach; the latter as aninteractive and constructive approach. Researchers
supporting the former approach collect life stories ofmany people, assuming that the life story of eachindividual represents one aspect of objective reality.
Through inductive inferences of accumulated data,
advocates of this approach believe that they candevelop a theoretical model. They may modify thismodel to fit actual cases that they learn through life

No.48 November 2006

On the other hand, in the GTA data collection
process, researchers also collect non-quantitative
images and drawings. Accordingly, we can analyze
expressive arts data by GTA and induce a theory
from such data, at least in theory. Accordingly, I
believe that we should also employ GTA to analyze
data that we obtain through research using
expressive arts therapy.

8

(2) Research employing Expressive Arts Therapy as a Non-linguistic
Survey Method
Through the qualitative survey method, interviews
are conducted using language. Moreover, reports on
interviews convey precise information to readers, if
such reports are written logically and precisely. In
this sense, linguistic survey methods, such as,interviews ensure higher clarity and objectivity. On
the other hand, victims’ stories expressed throughnon-verbal media, such as painting or dramas, areless objective, since an audience can interpret themmore subjectively.

and their viewers alike. This indicates that artistic
expressions have inter-subjective and universal
character. Related to these concepts, art therapists
commonly recognize that symbols and images, which
are called the language of arts, can express the worldof the unconscious, which cannot be explained byverbal media. What is more, paintings that show a
specific emotion, anger for instance, have a universal
character, transcending the diversity of expressions
by individual artists9. Furthermore, as Natalie
Rogers emphasizes expressive arts therapy is ameans to discover our inner selves.10

In this chapter, I would like to discuss differences
between data expressed in verbal and non-verbal
media.

What is more, expressive arts therapy can be usedeither in group therapy or a face-to-face session witha therapist, or even by oneself, depending on themental situation of the individual client.

Charles Taylor, a contemporary Canadianphilosopher, suggests that expressive linguistic
theory represents the current view of languages,
which underwent a linguistic turn during the firsthalf of the 20th century. He argues that “language”
refers to all means of expression, including prose,verse, music, painting and dances because there are
no longer any logical grounds for distinguishing a
conventional concept of “language” from other mediaof expressions7. Masakuni Kitazawa defines humanbeings as animals that think using symbols. He
suggests that although people use linguistic symbols
to express abstract ideas, the majority of such ideas
evoke concrete images or emotions, whether or not
people become aware of the facts. He criticizes thecurrent tendency of evaluating only conscious
thinking and its product, writing (ecriture). Writing,
he believes reflects dualistic thought established inmodern Western society.

(3) Conclusion
In conclusion, in comparison with interviews using
language, research using expressive arts therapy
enables researchers to approach victims withoutcausing the latter deep trauma. This researchtechnique also has the advantage of using various art
media depending on individual situations. On theother hand, this research technique is not suitable fora survey designed to confirm objective facts. We muststudy about the technique employing expressive arts
therapy to determine whether or not it enables databased theorization, as in the case of the GTA.
7 Charles Taylor, Philosophical Arguments, Harvard
University Press, 1995.
8 Benjamin Libet, Mind Time: The Temporal Factor in
Consciousness, Harvard University Press, 2004.
9 For example, the picture shown below was collectively
drawn by children at the workshop held in December
2005 in Manila, the Philippines, for children of former
entertainers working in Japan. In this picture, apregnant woman is standing in front of a pachinko(Japanese pin-ball game) machine. Many bills are also
depicted. According to the children who drew this picture,
the bills show that the woman is provided with financial
support, and that “someone” loves gambling. Anotherchild in the group said that her mother used to go to apachinko parlor whenever her Japanese father was awayfrom home. Once her mother was beaten by her father
when he found her playing pachinko. She promised herfather to stop playing pachinko after she was nearlyarrested by the police at the pachinko parlor. The
children explained that the heart marks in the picture
represent the love between the parents.

In my view, however, it is not clear whether or not
René Descartes, father of modern rationalism,referred only to logical and rational thinking when
he stated, “Cogito ergo sum8.” In a paper written by
Sigmund Freud during his final years, he admitted
that highly intellectual operations, such as deep
contemplation and ethical judgment, are conductedpreconsciously. Accordingly, we must not generalizethat modern Western dualism is based on the
opposition of reason and emotion; body and mind;
and consciousness and unconsciousness.
In any case, I do believe that there are no theoreticalgrounds which consider verbal expressions superior
to non-verbal forms of expressions. In this context, I
would like to discuss features and advantages of nonverbal over verbal expressions. Kyoko Ono, forinstance, proposes that through non-verbal
expressions we can convey more information than
through verbal expressions. She also suggests thatliterary works, such as, poetry and stories aredifferent from straight and direct languages used indaily life. Specifically, she maintains, the former canconvey rich spiritual images and symbols. Artistic
works can impress both artists who created them

10 A method in which different arts media are usedconsecutively is called “creative connection.”
Natalie Rogers, The Creative Connection: Expressive Arts
as Healing, Science and Behavior Books, 1997.

9

No.48 November 2006

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS REPORTS

Report Theme : Women and Disaster
Access to other foreign correspondents’ reports at http://www.kfaw.or.jp/english/correspondents.html

A Women’s Double Hardships

Bangladeshi Women Key toPost-Disaster Rehabilitation

Mr. Hisashi Ogawa (Thailand)

Ms. Munima Sultana (Bangladesh)

The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004
caused tremendous damage to Thailand and otherareas. In spite of recovery efforts, there are still
many victims who have yet to recover from this disaster. Ms. Y, whom I met in a stricken area of Trang
Province in the southern part of Thailand, is one
such person.
When the tsunami hit, Ms. Y’s husband was working
by himself with his fishing nets on his boat, which
was moored on the beach. While many villagers fled,
for some reason, Ms. Y’s husband continued working
rather than running for safety. Consequently, he
was caught in the tsunami and died. Shortly after,
she learned, from those who got away, that her husband had died.
The Thai government gave Ms. Y THB80,000 (1US$= approx. 37THB) in consolation for loosing a husband who had provided for her. However, the money
had to be divided equally among Mr. Y’s four children, whom he had with a previous wife who had
passed away. Ms. Y spent part of the THB16,000 she
received to build a new house. The rest she invested
in a trade to replace her husband’s fishing. She started making and selling confectionaries, which was
one of the few things a woman without a husband
could do in a village that offered few jobs other thanfishing. Consequently, a few months after the loss ofher husband, Ms. Y finally started working.
However, business did not go well. Competition in
the confectionary business was high between those
who had been doing it a long time and newcomers
like Ms. Y, who started up after the tsunami, trying
to establish a new source of income. Moreover, village demand had its limits. As a result, some people
had to unavoidably fold up shop. At first, everyone
sympathized with Ms. Y and her sales grew smoothly. However, Ms. Y, with her in experience in business, was one of those who later had to withdraw.
She used to energetically make the rounds selling
her wares, but as sales dipped, she left the houseless and less until she completely avoided her neighbors. Having no relatives in the village or any children of her own, Ms. Y became a recluse. Her situation is unchanged today. She lives basically without
an income, making ends meet with what little help
she gets from relatives.
Ms. Y has yet to heal from the “double hardships”
caused by the tsunami. People like Ms. Y lack sufficient financial aid and mental care from the government or outside groups. How harsh a state Ms. Y
lives in without her husband in a stricken area
where there is no work outside of fishing has been ignored. Recovery support problems, which have become evident one-and-a-half years after the tsunami,
urgently need to be resolved.

No.48 November 2006

In this disaster prone country, women, along with children and elderly people, become victims first due to social, economical and cultural status. Research showsthat many socio-religious norms and values also work
as a death trap for them. For example, women’s long
hair or five metre long sarees (traditional dress) put
them in the difficult position of running or swiming
whenever they face calamities like a cyclone, stormetc. It is also not easy for women to climb any tree toprevent them from washing away or running several
kilometers against strong winds to reach the nearest
shelter homes due to social and physical weaknesses.
The purdah practice forbids them to leave their homes
for shelters without being accompanied by their husbands. The latter, however, are often working during
any calamity. It is a well-documented fact that men intimes of a disaster have easily abandoned their wives
and families to save their own lives first. Women, on
the other hand, always try to save their children first.
It is also difficult for men to abandon their homes, livestock and the very few possessions they have during
disasters.
Bangladesh has earned recognition for its disaster preparedness and management which has lessened thenumber of victims greatly. At the same time, it still
faces the challenge of minimizing the number of women and children victims. Bangladesh, an ideal breeding
ground for tropical cyclones and other natural disasters, is struggling with typical development problems,such as, illiteracy, high population growth and poor
health. In spite of many frustrating views, Rokeya Kabir, Executive Director of “Nari Progati Sangha”, awomen development organisation, points out thatwomen are not just helpless victims. She maintains
they play a central role in saving lives and providing
relief through their strength and realism. For example
during a 1991 cyclone, they cared for the children, theelderly and surviving livestock. They fetched drinking
water from miles away; took the initiative to plant
trees during the rehabilitation programme; and became involved in community development. Rokeya further emphasized,“When they are allowed to do so, theyplay a major role in
the planning andimplementation ofdisaster relief andrehabilitation.
Their contribution
to the household ▲Threatened by the erosion of the Padma
river, a group of women were moved withincome often keeps their belongings under the supervision of
the whole family their male family members from theiralive.”
village to another area.

10

Women and Disaster Management in Nepal
Ms. Bhawana Upadhyay (Nepal)
Gender-based inequalities in rural Nepal interact
with social class, race and ethnicity, and age, which
put some women and girls at high risk. In turn, they
become more vulnerable before, during and after disasters. There are many casualties among women indisasters, in particular, as women do not normallyreceive timely warnings or other information about
hazards and risks. Women’s relative longevity, forexample, compared to men’s and women’s reproductive roles can create mobility and health constraints.
In addition, women, especially, the eldery, the disabled, the pregnant, and those with small children,
are most often at risk. These groups are frequently
left behind or the last to leave in cases of emergency
due to a lack of knowledge, mobility and resources.
As women do not seek or receive timely care forphysical and mental trauma experienced by disasters, gender-biased attitudes can also complicate andextend women’s recovery process.
Thus, there is a need to empower women at all stages of disaster management programs as an integral
strategy of reducing community vulnerability tonatural disasters. Women, along with men, alreadyplay a crucially important role in emergencies. For
example, during the time of a flood, women take on
the role of preparing and storing food items, which
can be the source of energy and nutrition for thefamily for days. Besides, they ensure that their belongings are stored in such a way that they can beeasily removed when flood water rises. While malemembers of the family take the livestock to protective places and arrange for their fodder, womenmake preparations to take care of the children, thevaluables, and the cooking utensils. It is the women
who make provision for food to support the family
during the floods, and preserve seeds for the next
cultivation season. However, this is only one part ofthe overall picture.
If mitigation, relief, and reconstruction policies do
not benefit women and men equally, economic andsocial rights are violated in disaster processes.
When relief efforts do not meet the specific physicaland mental health needs of women, the right to adequate health care is violated particularly in theevent of trauma. Security rights are violated when
women and girls become victims of sexual and otherforms of violence while in relief camps or temporary
housings. Civil and political rights are denied if
women cannot act autonomously and participate
fully at all decision-making levels in matters regarding mitigation and recovery.
Case studies from rural Nepal indicate that womenare very often highly affected by hazardous conditions and resulting disasters, for example, due to increased family and community work; loss of working
space and tools; intensified care-giving responsibilities; and heightened risk of domestic and sexual violence. As caregiving roles expand, and their accessto resources for recovery is constrained, women’s
work expands greatly during disasters.
In conclusion, integrating gender concerns into risk
reduction and management is very important for therespect and sustainability of human rights, especially those of women, throughout the disaster process
and beyond.

THE FORUM WINDOW
Self Awareness about Body and Health
The Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women(KFAW) co-organized with the Japan America
Women Political Scientists Symposium (JAWS) a
panel discussion entitled “An International Comparison of Reproductive Rights Policy -South
Korea, Eastern Europe, the United States andJapan” at Kitakyushu Municipal Gender Equality Center on July 13, 2006. Four researchers invited from Japan and abroad held lively discussions, which provided the audience with an opportunity to reflect on reproductive rights. The
audience also learned about differences in relatedlaws, social systems and customs among thethree countries and one region.
In Japan, contraceptive pills and devices areeasily available. Moreover, abortion is relatively
accessible. Through organizing the panel discussion, however, I began to question whether or not
Japanese people truly have sufficient knowledge
about contraception and abortion. For instance, I
was translating presentations of the panelists tocompile proceedings. I asked people around me
what the Japanese term was for the “morning-after pill.” I found that none of them knew what
the pill itself was. During the panel discussion,
Professor Misako Iwamoto of Mie University,
who served as the coordinator, pointed out that
few Japanese mothers talk with their daughtersabout sex. Although professor Iwamoto told her
own daughter about contraception methods andthe way to use tampons, this is more of an exception than the norm among Japanese mothers.
“Reproductive health/rights” is not a term familiar to Japanese people. Although it is most frequently used in arguments for or against abortion, we need to understand the concept of reproductive health/rights from broader perspectives.
For both men and women, in particular women,
therefore, reproductive health/rights are essential to controlling their own health. In order tomake our own decisions, it is important for us toobtain accurate knowledge about reproductive
health/rights.
Ms. Masako Ota
Senior Researcher
Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women

11

No.48 November 2006

ISSN 0918-8266

COVER PROFILE

QA
Q A
&

&

Question

Ms. Shiho Yamamoto
Firefighter

Corner

Q

Japan’s current fertility rate (1.25) represents a new low.
It is thought that the tendency to marry later; the highcost of raising a child; the difficulty of juggling careerand family are some of reasons. How about your country? What do children mean for your society or family?

Ms. Mayumi Nishimura, Fukuoka, JapanAnswer

Ms. Bhawana Upadhyay, Nepal
Nepali society, guided by patriarchal
norms, places a high value on boy children than on girls. In the rural areas of Nepal, giving birth to more babies is seen as a way to provide
surplus labor for household and outside jobs. The
belief that children are also considered to be gifts of
God also contributes to a higher birth rate in poor
rural areas. Consequently, Nepal has a high national birth rate (4.1) and the highest maternal mortality rate (539 deaths per 100,000 live births) worldwide.

A

Mr. Fairoz Ahmad, Singapore

Like Japan, Singapore is experiencing
a low birth rate. In 2005, our total fertility rate was around 1.24. The reasons for such low
rates are almost similar to Japan. However, this is
a problem faced by almost every developed country,
not just only Singapore or Japan alone. The Singapore government has recently introduced pro-family
measures like increasing maternity leave for expecting working mothers. It is hoped that such positive
measures may help increase Singapore’s fertility
rate in the future.

Location of
Kitakyushu

Asian Lifestyles〜Photos from KFAW Readers〜
Thanh Xuan Peace Village of Hanoi (Vietnam)

KFAW members conducted interviews in Vietnam
in order to produce an educational video for international mutual understanding. Thanh Xuan
Peace Village of Hanoi, a non governmental organization supports challenged children who are victims of dioxin used during the Vietnamese War.
This NGO gives medical treatment, rehabilitationand education suitable for each child’s intellectual
ability. It also carries out simple job training suchas sewing, embroidery and computer for victims
in their daily lives. Hanoi Peace Village also hasan accommodation. We saw about twenty children
who live there. They are lively and cheerful inspite of their handicaps. We enjoyed eating Japanese snacks and doing origami together.

Beijing Pyongyang

ShanghaiSeoul Osaka Tokyo
Kitakyushu
Fukuoka

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

Hong Kong Taipei
Hanoi
Vientiane

Dhaka

Yangon Bangkok

E-mail: kfaw@kfaw.or.jp URL: http://www.kfaw.or.jp/english/index.html

ManilaKFAW

Phnom Penh
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore

JakartaMs. Shiho Yamamoto, one of thevery few female firefighters inJapan, works for the Fire Prevention Section, Kitakyushu Fireand Disaster Management Department. She teaches citizens
and firms how to use fire hydrants and extinguishers. In addition, she also instructs them on
evacuate procedures in case of emergencies.
When Ms. Yamamoto was a child, her mother was taken to
the hospital by an emergency and rescue team. This incident helped to influence her decision to become a firefighter. As firefighters always work in teams, Ms. Yamamoto
does not forget team play, remembering the spirit of mutual aid.

Port Moresby

The Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women (KFAW) was established in
October of 1990 with a special government fund for revitalization projects.
Snbsequently, 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.

This trademark means that
Asian Breeze uses 100% recycled paper.

PRINTED WITH

SOY INK
This copy is printed with environment-friendly soy ink.

TM