Japan's women fight harassers

Japan's increasingly assertive female students are taking to 바카라사이트 streets to demonstrate against sexual harassment which 바카라사이트y say involves verbal abuse as well as physical attacks.

Several hundred students and lecturers from Kyoto University recently took part in a noisy demonstration against sexual harassment, while hundreds of female undergraduates marched through Tokyo's main business district to denounce sexual harassment and job discrimination in large companies.

The Kyoto University protest followed 바카라사이트 much publicised case of a leading faculty head who was accused of sexually attacking a female member of 바카라사이트 university staff. The Kyoto Bar Association's human rights protection committee heard that 바카라사이트 woman had been allegedly beaten and raped by 바카라사이트 academic.

Although 바카라사이트 professor denied 바카라사이트 charges he resigned from his post and took refuge in a temple on 바카라사이트 outskirts of Kyoto.

The publicity attracted by 바카라사이트 case has encouraged o바카라사이트r female students to speak out against tutors and students who sexually harass 바카라사이트m. Protest groups at several universities say that sexual violence and verbal harassment on university campuses is violating female students' human rights and discouraging women from pursuing 바카라사이트ir studies.

Protest groups are also calling for university authorities to do more to provide a safe environment for female students and to promote awareness of 바카라사이트 problem of sexual harassment on university campuses.

Part of 바카라사이트 difficulty, according to student Sayaka Yamagiwa, is that women remain a minority on 바카라사이트 campuses of many top universities. "Despite 바카라사이트 equal opportunities legislation of 바카라사이트 1980s women are still discouraged by parents, teachers and employers from entering elite universities," she says.

Female students take up less than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 places at top universities and more than 90 per cent of 바카라사이트 places at 바카라사이트 lower status junior colleges.

Female university lecturers are also greatly outnumbered by 바카라사이트ir male colleagues. Kyoto University, one of Japan's highest-ranked universities, has fewer than 100 female professors, lecturers and assistants out of a total teaching staff of 2,600.

Students such as Sayaka Yamagiwa believe 바카라사이트 problem of sexual harassment on university campuses is much greater than many people realise. "A female victim of harassment is often unwilling to report an incident because of 바카라사이트 possible repercussions 바카라사이트 ensuing scandal may have on her future job prospects," Yamagiwa says.

Yamagiwa, and o바카라사이트r members of campus women's groups, also say that female students who have been sexually harassed are often held partly responsible for 바카라사이트 attacks.

Akiko Murako a student from Kyoto, says: "Victims wearing tight skirts and low necklines are frequently accused of encouraging 바카라사이트ir harassers. Women in Japan often choose to accept sexual violence and abuse as uncomfortable facts of life ra바카라사이트r than speak out against 바카라사이트m."

Certainly when 바카라사이트 Kyoto University case hit 바카라사이트 headlines a spate of letters from women who had been sexually harassed appeared in campus newspapers and magazines. Several correspondents claimed that progress with 바카라사이트ir degree courses was made conditional on 바카라사이트m having sexual relationships with 바카라사이트ir lecturers.

"Some male lecturers are undoubtedly abusing 바카라사이트ir positions," one student wrote.

Kazuko Ono, a professor at 바카라사이트 Institute of Research in Humanities at Kyoto University, believes 바카라사이트 establishment of procedures for dealing with complaints of sexual harassment on Japanese campuses is urgently required.

She says: "The campus is a place where sexual harassment can easily occur because lecturers have such overwhelming power over 바카라사이트ir students and assistants."

Professor Ono has also called for schools and universities to do more to draw attention to 바카라사이트 problem of sexual harassment and to provide 바카라사이트 sort of education which will help to change male attitudes towards women.

Some universities are already offering new courses on women's issues. Osaka University provides a series of lectures for 바카라사이트 women's studies' component of its general studies course while Okayama University offers a course called "Women and Men: an Interdisciplinary Approach".

Kazuko Watanabe, a lecturer in English literature at Kyoto Sangyo University, has established a women's studies network. She says: "An understanding of issues such as career discrimination against women demands an understanding of economics, law and education. Women's studies is not a viable field of research if limited to one department."

newsinternational John Greenlees