Event “Citizen Movements, Civil Support, and Legislation — How Survivors of Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Have Achieved Legal Reforms” (Nov 17)

Tokyo College Project Assistant Professor Evan KOIKE's collaborative research group is hosting an event entitled "Citizen Movements, Civil Support, and Legislation — How Survivors of Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Have Achieved Legal Reforms," please register for participation using the link below.

Participation: Free (Pre-registration required):
https://kansas.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ahaJZHZXSCyq5QjuFyFhRA#/registration

IN JAPANESE ONLY

Since the 1980s, survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence in Japan have been leading grassroots movements domestically and internationally to eliminate violence from society. These citizen-led movements have resulted in significant outcomes, including the enactment of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act in the 2000s and amendments to the Penal Code in 2023. Today, the definition of sexual violence has evolved from "forced intercourse" to "non-consensual intercourse," marking a broader recognition of survivors' rights. However, many challenges remain. In this panel, we will explore the voices of survivors and consider future possibilities for legal reform and social support.

Time: Nov 17, 2024. 10:00-11:30.
10:00-10:05: Opening Remarks
10:05-10:15: Lecture by Tomoko Endo
10:15-10:25: Lecture by Jun Yamamoto
10:25-10:35: Lecture by Akiko Matsuo
10:35-11:10: Panel Discussion
11:10-11:30: Q&A Session

Speakers:

Tomoko Endo: Secretary-General of the Social Inclusion Support Center (General Incorporated Association). She began working in the field of psychological counseling for women in the 1980s. Since 1999, she has participated in the National Women’s Shelter Network. In 2003, as Secretary-General, she worked on the first revision of the Domestic Violence Law and other legal reforms. She has held her current position since October 2011. Her main publications include: Women in the Lower Strata (Keiso Shobo), The DV Law Changed by Women (Shinsui-sha), Date DV (KK Bestsellers), Introduction to SNS Counseling (Akashi Shoten), and SNS and Sexual Violence (Seishin Shobo).

Jun Yamamoto: Nurse, public health nurse, and certified psychologist. Assistant professor at Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences in the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Founder of the organization “General Incorporated Association Spring,” established in 2017, which aims to create a society where survivors of sexual violence can live more comfortably. Served as a member of the Ministry of Justice’s Criminal Law Review Committee on Sexual Crimes (2020-2021) and the Subcommittee on Criminal Law (Sexual Crimes) of the Legislative Council (2021-2023). Author of I Lost Myself at 13: The Reality of Living with Sexual Violence (Asahi Shimbun Publishing, 2017).

Akiko Matsuo: Born in Nagasaki Prefecture in 1977. After working for a publishing company, they established Etc.Books, a feminist publishing house, in 2018. The following year, they launched the feminist magazine Etcetera. Notable publications include Masako Makino's What is Chikan? Bell Hooks’ Feminism is for Everybody (translated by Midori Hotta), and Koyama-san Notebook, edited by the Koyama-san Notebook Workshop. In 2021, they opened a bookstore under the same name. They are also one of the organizers of the "Flower Demonstration," a movement aimed at eradicating sexual violence.

Discussant: Akiko Takeyama: Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and the director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas.

Chair: Leng Junxiao, Ph.D Candidate of Women and Cultural Studies, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo.

Sponsors: Abe Collaborative Network Project "Consent in Sexual Violence," Center for East Asian Studies, Kansas University.