Event: 16 March Exploitation of Women in the Entertainment Industry

HRN co-sponsors a discussion on the Exploitation of Women in the Entertainment Industry at the 61st Session on the Status of Women in New York

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Event Summary

On March 16, 2017 Human Rights Now will be co-sponsoring a discussion on the “Exploitation of Women in the Entertainment Industry” with Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”). Please join HRN’s Secretary General, Kazuko Ito, and other panel speakers in New York at the 61st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Violence Against Women

Reports show that many young women are sexually exploited in the Japanese entertainment industry. The investigation conducted by Human Rights Now revealed that there have been a number of cases in which young women, after being recruited as a “model” or “idol star” and signing contracts with agents, are forced into having sex in front of the camera for adult pornography. Acts of resistance by the women are met with threats of exorbitant amounts of penalty fees, exposure to families and schools, and coercion into performing sex without consent to be displayed as pornographic videos on the internet. These systematic practices constitute grave violations of human rights, especially of women and children. This event will highlight the situation in Japan with an interview video of survivors and an investigative report. Introducing experiences from European countries, speakers will propose comprehensive, victim-centered strategies to combat this problem.

Open to the public. Admission is free. No UN pass is required to enter the building.

Program

Introduction: Survivors’ Voice—(Interview Video)
Panel Discussion
Trapped in Porn in Japan   Ms. Kazuko Ito (Secretary General, Human Rights Now)
Child Pornography in Japan   Professor Hiroko Goto (Chiba University School of Law)
Experience from Sweden   Mr. Per-Anders Sunesson (Ambassador at Large for Combating Trafficking in Persons, Sweden) and others.

Speakers

Ms. Kazuko Ito has been practicing law as a human rights lawyer since 1994. As a human rights lawyer, she works on various human rights issues, such as women’s rights, children’s rights, criminal justice and juvenile justice and public interest litigation in Japan as well as critical human rights problems in the world, with special focus in Asia. In 2006, Kazuko joined in the establishment of Human Rights Now, a Japan-based international human rights NGO with ECOSOC special consultative status and since then has served as the Secretary General. HRN is the first Japan-based international human rights NGO which works for the promotion and protection of human rights for people in the world, with special focus in Asia. The work of HRN includes investigations, reports, policy recommendations and advocacy to solve grave human rights situations in the world. HRN also contributes to human rights education and technical cooperation based on the experience and expertise of legal practitioners.

Professor Hiroko Goto is a professor of Chiba University School of Law in Japan, Vice President of Human Rights Now, Board member of Japan Association of Gender and Law, Board member of Japanese Association of Victimology, Member of Science Council of Japan, and as a former expert member on violence against women for the Gender Equality Bureau was involved in the Basic Plan for Gender Equality in Japan. After receiving her LL.B. and LL.M. degrees from Keio University in Tokyo, where she also completed her Ph.D. studies in criminal law, Professor Goto became a leading expert on Japanese juvenile law and gender law. She has published many works in both English and Japanese on these topics.

Per-Anders Sunesson, who is a lawyer, has been working both in Sweden and internationally for more than 20 years with social and criminal policies, crime victims issues, children’s rights, legislation and welfare systems. The Swedish government appointed Mr. Sunesson Ambassador at Large for Combating Trafficking in Persons in May 2016. Prior to this assignment he held the position of Deputy Director General at The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs where he was in charge of the Division for Family and Social services. Between 2009 and 2012 he was Director for the Department of Supervision of all healthcare institutions, healthcare personnel and social services in Sweden. He has also worked several years at the Ministry of Justice.

Mr. Hiroshi Minami is Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations. He joined the foreign service in 1983 and served various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affair (MOFA) Japan including Deputy Director, Coordination Division, Foreign Minister’s Secretariat, MOFA (1999-2001); Director for the G8 Summit; Economic Affairs Bureau, MOFA (2001); Director, UN Administration Division, Multilateral Cooperation Department, MOFA (2003-2004); Director, Global Issues Policy Division, Global Issues Department, MOFA (2004-2005); Minister in charge of human rights, humanitarian affairs and Specialized Agencies, Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva (2005-2008); and Deputy Director-General for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2012-2014). Since 2014 he has served in his current position.

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