東日本大震災女性支援ネットワークは、国連女性差別撤廃委員会にNGOレポートを提出いたしました。
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2011 年7 月20 日
CEDAW委員の皆さまへ
東日本大震災女性支援ネットワーク
共同代表 竹信三恵子(ジャーナリスト. 和光大学教授)
中島 明子(工学博士. 和洋女子大学教授)
東京都文京区向丘1-7-8
Tel/Fax 03-3830-5285
http://www.risetogetherjp.org
CEDAW委員の皆さま、また、日本のフォローアップを審議されるCEDAW委員の皆さまに敬意を表します。
●暫定的特別措置「公的活動」(最終見解パラグラフ28)に関して
2011 年3 月11 日午後、日本の東北地方においてマグネチュード9 の大地震が起こりました。
大地震とその影響による大津波と原発事故が重なり、未曾有の大災害になりました。
私たちのネットワークは、東日本大震災で被災した人々の多様性に配慮し、社会的脆弱性を持
つことをしいられている人々、特に女性の権利が満たされる環境づくりを目指すために5 月に発足しました。
日本は、台風による暴風雨や大地震、津波、火山爆発などの災害大国でもあり、近代以降にお
いても数多くの人命を失い、破壊と流失を経験してきましたが、私たちはその都度立ち直ってきました。しかし、今回の大災害の特徴は、太平洋側沿岸の南北500 ㎞、東西200 ㎞にわたるかってない広範囲の甚大な被害であること、原発事故がいまだ収束せず放射能の影響が福島県を越えて広範囲に及んでいることです。土壌、水、食物はもとより、人体、とりわけ子どもの尿や母乳からも放射能物質が検出され、私たちは見通しのつかない不安の中にあります。
今回の大災害による死者・行方不明者は2 万人以上にのぼります。当初、避難所は2,000 か所
以上、避難者は約37 万人に達しました。その後、政府・自治体の並大抵ではない努力とNPO
等の民間ボランティアの驚異的で地道な救援活動、また被災者自身の自助努力によって、仮設住宅などへの移住が進み、現在避難所暮らしをしている人々は、24,000 人(7 月19 日現在)となっています。
避難所は学校や公民館、などの公的施設であることが多く、それらは数日の避難しか想定され
ておらず、長期にわたる避難生活にはもともと対応できないところです。
内閣府男女共同参画局は、3 月16 日に女性に配慮した避難所運営を関係機関に要望しました。
その後も女性や子どもの安全等に配慮するよう求めた要望書を出しています。しかし、それがどの程度実施されたかは不明です。このような中で、避難所生活において女性たちの人権が侵害されている状況が、支援活動をする女性たちや女性記者、人権団体による調査等を通して明らかになりました。
避難所は広い体育館などで場所によっては仕切りもないところもあり、あったとしてもプライ
バシーが保障されるような高さではなかった。また、初期には更衣室や授乳室もない、トイレが利用をためらうような設置の仕方だったり、安全な場所に設置されていない、洗濯が十分に出来なかったり、女性の衣服を干す場所がない、生理用品や下着などの要望を男性リーダーに伝えにくい、食事の調理が被災者によってされる場合は、女性のみにその役割が強制的に割当てられ、女性たちが疲弊している、などです。
避難所運営に女性たちがほとんど参画しておらず、男性リーダーによって、避難所は一つの家
族だから仕切りは不要、団結を疎外すると決定されたり、乳幼児をつれた母親たちの場所を確保しいてほしいなど、女性特有の要望は贅沢と決めつけられたりしたことが判明しています。また、内閣府の要望書の受取りや、女性のための電話相談などのチラシ配布が拒否された避難所もあります。徐々に女性たちの要望が実施されていった避難所もありますが、誰もが困難な状況にあるのだからと、多くの女性たちが沈黙を強いられていた状況がありました。
政府は、昨年末に第3 次男女共同参画基本計画を策定し、2020 年に指導的地位に女性が占め
る割合を30%程度とする目標に向けた取組を開始しました。ところが復興構想会議のメンバー15人中女性は一人のみで女性たちは失望しました。復興基本法や復興構想会議提言においては、女性、子ども、障害者、外国人等の多様な意見の適切な反映がうたわれています。7 月末には復興基本方針が策定されますが、女性や障害者、外国籍市民、LGBT など性的少数者などの多様な市民の参画がどのように保障されるのか定かではありません。私たちは、国および被災自治体において、復興過程におけるまちづくりや、その他の課題の意思決定機関に女性や多様な人々の参画が保障されること、その他の自治体における防災計画においても同様なことが明記され実施されることを切実に要請しています。国連防災世界会議(Kobe,Hyougo,Japan 2005)において採択された「兵庫行動枠組2005-2015」には、「リスク評価、早期警戒、情報管理、教育・トレーニングに関連したあらゆる災害リスク管理政策、計画、意思決定過程にジェンダーに基づいた考え方を取り入れることが必要である」と記載され、これは国連特別総会「女性2000 年会議」においても再確認されています。私たちは、日本政府がこれを順守することも求めています。
私たちは、CEDAW委員の皆さまが、日本政府に出される勧告に次のようなことを含んでい
ただくことを要望します。
1、避難所の管理運営について国および自治体は、災害時に女性をはじめ脆弱性の高まる人々の人権に配慮し、女性の参画を保障したガイドラインを策定すること。その際は、Inter Agency Standing Committee(IASC)など国際的な被災者保護に関する文書をもとに、災害時の人権保障の国際基準を考慮すること。また、その確実な実施を図るために自治体における条例化
等必要な措置をとり、必要に応じて民間の支援団体と連携すること。
2、国、自治体の防災計画等に「兵庫行動枠組2005-2015」で示された防災へのジェンダー視点導入を明記し実施すること。
3、国および自治体の復興計画の策定やその実施にあたる組織や意思決定機関に、女性が30%
以上参画可能な仕組みを保障すること。復興計画に性別、障害の有無、国籍、年齢、性的指向
を問わず人権を保障することを盛り込むこと。
4、復興計画や防災計画のために、今回の大震災の被害と復興の状況に関する情報を性別で収集しジェンダー統計として示すこと。男女共同参画基本計画にはジェンダー統計の充実がうた
われている。
5、避難所、仮設住宅、借上げ住宅、復興住宅においては人権が保障されること。その計画策定、設計、管理運営には女性の専門家及び女性、障害者、高齢者など社会的脆弱性を持つことを強いられている人々が参画すること。
6、復興事業において創出される雇用機会の50%を女性向けとすることを、地方公共団体や事
業実主体に義務づけること。
7、暴力のない新たなコミュニティの創造のために、民間支援団体による女性に対する暴力にかかわる相談事業を、政府の責任において保障すること。
8、原発事故により広範囲に放射性物質がまき散らされ、被ばくにより健康障害が起こることが予想され、特に胎児や乳幼児などへの影響は重大であるとともに、これからの世代にも影響
を与えると言われる。このため子どもを持つことをためらう女性たちが増えるとともに、汚
染地域の人々への差別意識が生まれつつあり、女性の性と生殖や結婚などに関し大きな影響
を与えると予想される。しかし、政府は正確な情報を提供していないため、現在も低線量被
ばくが続いている。食品を含めた放射能に関する正確な情報と被ばくを避けるための最大限
の努力、子ども、乳幼児、妊婦の避難・疎開の保障、長期にわたる健康調査と記録、健康被
害や失業・避難への補償、このための被ばくに関する研究が必要である。政府は放射能の影
響を長期に継続的に調査研究する専門機関を設置すること。それらの調査研究に携わる女性
研究者を育成し、その雇用や研究環境、ならびに専門機関における参画を保障すること。
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Rise Together for Women in East Japan Disaster
1-7-8 Mukogaoka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel/Fax: 03-3830-5285 offce@risetogetherjp.org
http://www.risetogetherjp.org
20 July, 2011
Re: The “Public Life” in the Temporary Special Measures – Japan
Dear Members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,
We, members of the Rise Together for Women in East Japan Disaster, wish to express our respect and
gratitude to the members of CEDAW.
On the afternoon of March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 9 hit the northeastern (Tohoku) region of Japan, which is commonly referred to as the Great East Japan Earthquake. The massive earthquake, the subsequent devastating tsunami and the nuclear accidents have caused unprecedented damages.
We established a network of women’s organizations, Rise Together for Women in East Japan Disaster, in May 2011, aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of vulnerable people, especially women, with consideration to the diversity of people who have been affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Japan has been frequently affected by massive disasters, such as tropical storms (typhoons), huge earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Despite the loss of many lives and repeated destructions and devastations, people in Japan have recovered and rebuilt each time. However, this recent massive disaster is characterized by the extremely wide area of damage, stretching 500 kilometers from north to south and 200 kilometers from east to west on the Pacific coast, as well as the widespread and ongoing effect of radiation from the nuclear accidents. Not only have traces of radioactive materials been found in soil, water, and food, but also in human bodies. Even children’s urine and breast milk have been found to be contaminated by radiation. Many people in Japan are in the midst of fear and anxiety with no prospect of resolution in sight.
More than 20,000 people have been killed or missing in this unprecedented disaster. Initially there were more than 2,000 evacuation centers and more than 370,000 evacuees. Many of them now have moved to temporary housing units, thanks to tenacious and dedicated efforts by the national government, local
municipalities, the private sectors including non-profit organizations (NPOs), not to mention the self-help efforts of the those who have been affected by the disaster themselves. As of July 19 2011 , there are approximately24,000 individuals residing at evacuation centers.
Many evacuation centers are public facilities, such as public schools or community centers. They are equipped to handle and support evacuees only for a few days but not for months on end. On March 16, 2011, the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office issued a written notice requesting that the
management of evacuation centers take into consideration specific needs of women. Subsequently, it issued additional notices requesting that evacuation center management make effort to protect the safety of women and children. However, the extent to which these requests have been followed remains unknown.. Women who are engaged in relief efforts, female journalists, and research conducted by human rights organizations have revealed various violations of the rights of women at the evacuation centers, including the following:
・ Some evacuation centers, such as gymnasiums (of public schools), provided no partition boards.
Even if there were partitions, their height is not enough to provide privacy.
・ Initially, at many evacuation centers, there was no room/private space for women to change clothes or nursing rooms.
・ Restrooms were located in inconvenient and unsafe places.
・ There was no place for women to wash their clothes or to hang them (especially underwear away from a public view).
・ In cases where evacuees prepared meals, women were assigned to the role of cooking, which added to the stress and exhaustion on their part.
Moreover, few women have taken part in managing evacuation centers. There were some evacuation centers where a male leader decided that partition boards were not necessary because an evacuation center is considered to be “one big family” and partition boards would break up the solidarity among the residents. Some male leaders would view certain women’s needs, such as requesting a space for mothers with infants, as too demanding. Moreover, there were some evacuation centers where male leaders refused to receive the Cabinet Office’s written requests [concerning women’s needs] and/or refused to
hand out flyers informing of telephone counseling for women. Although there were some centers where male leaders gradually responded to requests from women, in most of the cases women had been forced to keep quiet because they had been told that everyone was in a difficult situation.
The Japanese national government formulated the Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality at the end of 2010 and began the effort toward the target of increasing the proportion of women in leadership positions to at least 30% by 2020. However, to the disappointment of many people in Japan, only one woman was appointed to the 15-member Reconstruction Design Council. The Reconstruction Act and the Proposal by the Reconstruction Design Council state that diverse opinions of women, children, people with disabilities, and foreign nationals must be reflected adequately. The Basic Plan for Reconstruction will be formulated at the end of July, it is not clear how the participation of women, people with disabilities, foreign nationals, and sexual minorities such as LGBT will be ensured.
We are earnestly appealing to the government to ensure the participation of women and the inclusion of the diversity of people in decision making in the reconstruction planning of the national government and disaster-affected local municipalities. We are also earnestly appealing to other local municipalities (not directly affected by the disaster) that their disaster prevention plans include similar provisions promoting women’s participation and inclusion of diverse perspectives. The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 adopted at the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction in 2005 (Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) states “gender perspectives should be integrated into all disaster risk management policies, plans and decision-making processes, including those related to risk assessment, early warning, information management, and education and training.” This was reaffirmed at the twenty-third special
session of the United Nations General Assembly, Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century. We are calling on the Japanese government to comply with this.
We respectfully appeal to the members of CEDAW to include the following points in the recommendations to the Japanese government.
1. The Japanese government and local municipalities should formulate guidelines for the management of evacuation centers aimed at upholding the human rights of women and other vulnerable groups of people in and after disaster. Consider and adopt international standards on protecting the rights of those affected by the disaster, such as those specified in the documents issued by the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC). In order to implement these guidelines effectively, the government shall take the necessary measures, such as developing an ordinance and establishing coalition with
private relief/assistance organizations.
2. Integrate gender perspectives stated in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 into disaster prevention plans of the national government and local municipalities.
3. Create a mechanism to ensure that women represent at least 30% at various decision-making bodies in the formulation and implementation of reconstruction plans by the national government and local municipalities.
4. Include in the reconstruction plans provisions that guarantee human rights of all people, regardless of gender, abilities, nationality, age, and sexual orientations.
5. Guarantee the human rights at evacuation centers, temporary housings, and
governmentally-subsidized or -leased residences for those affected by the disaster. Ensure that those who are forced to occupy vulnerable positions in society, such as women, those with disabilities, and elderly, can participate in the formulation of plans and the design and management of these facilities.
6. To assist in the future disaster prevention and reconstruction planning, collect and analyze information on the damage and recovery of the Great East Japan Earthquake by gender, and present gender-specific statistics. (Note: Enhancement of gender-specific statistics is included in the Basic
Plan for Gender Equality).
7. Oblige local public agencies and other agencies (e.g., those that hold a governmental contract to implement reconstruction plans) that 50% of employment opportunities to be created shall be designed for or applicable to women.
8. In order to create a society free of violence against women and other forms of violence, the government shall support, financially and otherwise, not only counseling programs but also a broad range of prevention and intervention programs operated by private organizations.
9. As radioactive materials have been widely spread, it is predicted that exposure of all forms will affect the health of individuals. In addition to the serious impact on infants, potential grave health consequences extend to unborn children and future generations to come, which would discourage an increasing number of women from having children. Moreover, discrimination against people who live in the contaminated area is on the rise. Undoubtedly, these conditions will have serious negative impact on women’s reproductive health, as well as decisions and opportunities concerning marriage and reproduction. Unfortunately, the government does not provide accurate information, and radiation exposure continues. Accurate information about levels of radioactive materials (e.g., in food, environment) must be made available; also critically needed are efforts to minimize and eliminate radiation exposure, including ensuring evacuation of children and infants, as well as pregnant woman. Moreover, sufficient compensation must be made to all forms of damage, including health problems, loss of employment, and displacement. Monitoring and documenting the long-term health consequences of radiation exposure is indispensable. More research is urgently needed.
The Japanese government shall establish a specialized research unit to conduct research on the long-term impact of radioactivity on an ongoing basis. The Japanese government shall also provide training and employment opportunities for female researchers who engage in this type of research. Needless to say, ensuring discrimination-free environment is critically important for productive research activities.
Respectfully submitted by
Rise Together for Women in East Japan Disaster Co-representative Directors
竹信 三恵子 中島 明子
Mieko Takenobu Akiko Nakajima, Dr. Eng
Journalist Professor, Faculty of Life and Ecology
Professor, Faculty of Human Studies Wayo Women’s University
Wako University
協力:国際協力NGOオックスファム・ジャパン
URL:www.oxfam.jp