Women with disabilities are still told they should have an abortion.

According to the review of Japan by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, in October, concerned parties working on various topics will the Japanese report in and give their opinions. to the committee members locally. Those involved see this as a valuable opportunity to have a broad dialogue on the gender-related issues they feel about in Japan.

◆”I want to emphasize the current situation in Japan, where the perception of discrimination is low.”

Four members of the DPI Network of Women with Disabilities, which collects and disseminates information to protect the rights of women with disabilities, will visit the site. Kumiko Fujiwara (60), the representative of the network, says, “I want to appeal to the current situation in Japan, where there is little awareness of the different types of discrimination that come with being a a woman and being disabled.”

Mr. Fujiwara, who also participated in the last Japanese screening, said, “I was impressed with how enthusiastic the committee members were in reading the materials and listening to the stories.” In Japan, the Supreme Court ruled in July that the old Eugenics Protection Act, which forced sterilization on the grounds of disability, was unconstitutional, and there was a major movement to order the state to pay compensation. “I feel that the country’s response has changed, but there are many issues that have not been resolved,” Fujiwara said.

Kumiko Fujiwara, representative of the DPI Network of Women with Disabilities

◆“A valuable opportunity to express the feelings of women with disabilities”

“There are still many cases where women with disabilities are told by those around them not to give birth or when they are asked to have an abortion because of their disabilities. It is not enough because it is left up to local governments.”

It is also a big problem that women with disabilities are more prone to sexual harassment. “We must return to health/reproductive rights (women’s right to decide for themselves regarding sexuality and reproduction)” and we will give the views of the people involved to the committee members.

The current chairperson of CEDAW is a Spanish woman with visual impairments who sees this as “a valuable opportunity to express the feelings of women with disabilities.” In addition to Fujiwara, participants from the network include people with hearing disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities, and wheelchair users. It requires five caregivers, which are expensive, and they are attractive to help. (Yui Kobayashi)

T-net’s Sota Kimoto speaks at a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo on the 24th.

◆ Transgender: “Keep your body your own”

T-Net, which was launched in August this year to disseminate information about transgender people, submitted a report to the United Nations along with other civil society groups. Discrimination against sexual minorities is said to be similar to discrimination against women because they face problems in patriarchal Japanese society, said Sota Kimoto (32), party co-delegate and co- representative, “I want my “The right to live as a transgender person is still being taken away from transgender people,” he said, calling for an end to discrimination.

As for transgender people, last October the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a provision of the Gender Identity Disorder Special Cases Act, which requires surgery to remove reproductive function to change the gender of the family register, but no changes have been made to the law yet. While the recognition of the society has increased, there are rumors like “If a man says, “I have the heart of a woman,” he will be allowed to enter the women’s pool,” and there is hatred against the parties happen not only on social networks. sites (SNS) but also on the streets It spreads.

◆ Anxiety and fear are caused by believing that the Internet causes discrimination and violence

The report was compiled with the help of Associate Professor Yutori Takai of Gunma University. They called for revisions to the special law, insurance coverage for hormone therapy necessary to maintain health, and measures to eliminate discrimination. Mr. Takai will also go to Geneva.

Co-producer Aki Nomiya (60) said, “Anxiety and fear are caused by believing information online without knowing the situation of the people involved, causing discrimination and violence. we want to spread correct information.” (Okunohi)

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