Japan Press Weekly

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2015 July 29 - August 4 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

11,000 women in Mothers’ Congress resolve to scrap war bills

In the 61st Japan Mothers’ Congress held in Kobe on August 1-2, around 11,000 women shared their experiences in public movements seeking to scrap the war bills which are currently under discussion in the House of Councilors.

In a plenary session held on the first day of the Congress, New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin) President Kasai Kimiyo delivered an address on behalf of the organizing committee. She stressed that the growing public opposition to the Abe government’s attempt to turn Japan into a war-fighting nation is driving the administration into a corner. Kasai called on participants to further strengthen their efforts to resist the war bills.

The plenary session adopted a resolution calling on all women and mothers to play a leading role in pubic movements protesting against the war bills. In the session, workers, farmers, and others appeared on the stage to talk about their activities in various fields across Japan, such as campaigns against nuclear power generation and efforts for women’s empowerment.

On the second day, workshops and symposiums on many subjects took place. In one of those workshops, Kobe Gakuin University Professor Kamiwaki Hiroshi gave a lecture titled, “We can block the unconstitutional war bills from being enacted.” After the lecture, Kamiwaki and participants discussed ways to strengthen public movements against the war bills. Some pointed to the need to hold protest actions at various locations across the country in addition to the ongoing protest in front of the Diet building, and others suggested making full use of social networking services.


Past related articles:
> Don’t send our children to war: Japanese mothers [August 3 & 4, 2014]
> Women support the pacifist Constitution: Japan Mothers Congress [August 25 & 26, 2013]