National Women’s Education Center of Japan

The 5th World Social Forum on Migration (WSFM) was held in Quezon City, Philippines. Four people from the National Women’s Education Center attended the forum, including researchers from the Office of Research and International Affairs, as well as a coordinator and a research partner for a study on “Empowerment and Support of Migrant Women Focusing on Promotion of Gender Equality Initiatives at the Local Level” (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B); Principal researcher: Hiroe Nakano).

In order to create a fair society under globalization, the WSFM has provided an opportunity and a forum for various players in civil society so that they can exchange their views on policies and efforts to make a change as well as building a relationship among participants. The 5th WSFM, the first in Asia, was held from November 26 to 30, 2012, under the theme of “Mobility, Rights, Global Models: Looking for Alternatives.” In total, 26 workshops and poster sessions were organized and about 800 people attended the forum to discuss various issues caused by different forms of immigration, including migrant workers, refugees, internally-displaced people, and trafficking in persons.

On November 27, NWEC made a presentation on the findings of the NWEC’s survey on trafficking in persons. The session was implemented jointly with three Taiwanese organizations that provide support to victims of trafficking in persons (Taiwan Women’s Rescue Foundation, New Immigrants Labor Rights Association and the Salvation Army Taiwan Region) in cooperation with two Japanese organizations that provide support to non-Japanese citizens in Japan (Japan Network Against Trafficking in Persons and Solidarity Network with Migrants in Japan). The NWEC reported the realities and issues of the Japanese government’s measures against trafficking in persons, while three organizations in Taiwan respectively presented the real condition of labor exploitation of victims of trafficking in persons; support activities for women provided by public organizations and NGOs; and the partnerships between emigration countries and ones receiving migrants within the international network of the Salvation Army. The poster session was attended by about 55 people from Australia, the US, Cambodia, Nepal and other countries, and the lively question-and-answer session demonstrated the high level of interest among the participants.

On the third day of the WSFM, the Forum Secretariat organized a study tour to Metro Manila and the provinces of Pampanga and Batangas. In Metro Manila, a government official explained overseas work policies and how the government supports people who are reintegrating after returning home, as the government of the Philippines makes it a national policy to encourage people to work overseas. In the provinces of Pampanga and Batangas (both are on Luzon Island), where many people emigrate to work overseas, local educational NGOs and church workers explained specifically how they have assisted children and family members left behind.

Building relationships with the NWEC’s partner organizations to facilitate a network was also aim of the visit to the Philippines. During the trip, NWEC staff visited the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and met with Executive Director Ms.Verzosa. PCW, founded in 1975, is the leading governmental organizations to implement gender equality policies in the country. Members also participated in a WSFM workshop hosted by the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s Studies (UPCWS) which has concluded a partnership agreement with NWEC. The workshop focused on the potential of feminism as a social movement. In addition, NWEC staff visited the Batis Center for Women (Quezon City) and the office of the NGO DAWN (Manila), both of which worked in cooperation with NWEC when we conducted a survey on trafficking in persons. We met with the women members and learned about their recent activities to promote economic empowerment for women who have returned from work overseas.