With the increasing risk of disadvantages to women due to conflicts and disasters around the world, JICA not only provides relief to women as “victims” but also positions them as “peacebuilders” and cooperates with them in various ways based on the concept of “Women, Peace and Security” (WPS). On the eve of International Women’s Day on March 8, Emi Hirose, Director of JICA’s Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction Promotion Office, and journalist Keiko Hamada discussed the issue.
Emi Hirose (left), Director of JICA’s Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction Promotion Office, and Keiko Hamada, journalist, in conversation about JICA’s efforts on International Women’s Day.
What is WPS – making women “players” not “victims”
Emi Hirose, Director, Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction Promotion Office, JICA (hereinafter “Hirose”) JICA, in addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment, is not only protecting women as “victims” but also promoting initiatives based on the WPS approach of “ensuring their participation as actors in peace building, elimination of GBV (gender-based violence), disaster prevention and response. The WPS approach is based on the concept of “guaranteeing women’s participation in peacebuilding, the elimination of GBV (gender-based violence), and disaster prevention and response.
Emi Hirose, Director of JICA’s Office for Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction (right) listens to journalist Keiko Hamada’s question.
Keiko Hamada (hereafter, Hamada) WPS is based on the concept of “women’s proactive participation in conflict resolution, peace, and reconstruction processes,” isn’t it? Women are often spoken of as “victims,” but in fact they can be players in peacebuilding. When I first learned of this perspective, I was very impressed.
Hirose: For example, in Mindanao Island in the Philippines, where reconstruction has not progressed well due to clan rivalries, JICA has been cooperating with the peace process for many years, and when women were made the intermediaries between communities, they connected the hostile communities and laid the foundation for peacebuilding. JICA has been working with women in the peace process for many years.
Hamada Why was it successful for a woman, rather than a man, to act as an intermediary?
Hirose: When the husband became a combatant, it was the women (wives) who remained at home. In this situation, women who shared the same desire to prevent conflicts and bring them to an end quickly formed groups and sought a peaceful world through mutual support. The voices of these women protecting their families had a strong influence on the peace negotiations.
Emi Hirose, Director, Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction Promotion Office, Governance and Peacebuilding Division, JICA Joined JICA in 1994. She has worked in the Social Development Cooperation Department, Ghana Office, Africa Department, JICA Yokohama, Industrial Development and Public Policy Department, Deputy Director of Ethiopia Office, and Deputy Director of Sustainability Promotion Office, Planning Department before assuming her current position in October 2025. His areas of interest include public-private partnerships, gender and development, and the African region.
Hamada: I once covered the Middle East during the Iraq War. When I interviewed women with children in Palestine and Israel, none of them wanted conflict, and they both said they wanted to raise their children in a safe and secure place. I thought that if women could intervene in constructive discussions on how to achieve this, they could find a point of agreement that “we both want the same thing” and contribute to peacebuilding.
Women Changing the Future – New Leadership Emerging in Conflict Zones
Hirose: In Colombia, many years of conflict have destroyed the livelihoods of many women victims of domestic violence. To help women affected by the conflict and violence rebuild their lives, JICA supported a coffee farmers’ cooperative composed entirely of women to improve quality and brand coffee beans. The women became self-reliant and regained their confidence and pride by earning an income.
Hamada: It is very important for women to be financially independent. By becoming financially independent, they will have more options in life and will be able to make their own life choices. Even if you are in a patriarchal and oppressive environment, it is a step to get out of it.
Keiko Hamada was born in 1966. She joined the Asahi Shimbun in 1989 and worked for Asahi Weekly before becoming editor-in-chief of AERA in 2014. He is the author of numerous books, including “Shuen: Shuen, Shuen to Shuen (The End of Male-Centered Businesses)” (Bunshun Shinsho).
Hirose: Economic independence is a very important perspective. There was once a flood in Pakistan. There were women who were earning income by selling handicrafts, but they could no longer go to the city to sell their products because of the severe flood damage. But JICA helped them to create an e-commerce site where they could sell their handicrafts, and they were able to continue to earn income through online sales.
Hamada So the evolution of technology has given women weapons.
Hirose: Gender-based violence (GBV) such as forced marriage and child marriage is serious in Pakistan, and JICA continues to provide seamless cooperation for women victims of GBV, from protection to self-reliance and social reintegration. One girl who escaped from a forced marriage took refuge in a shelter, received vocational training at a “transitional home” that JICA established and supports the operation of, and now lives in a women-only house while working at a sewing factory. She is now working in a sewing factory and living in women-only housing. She has become a role model in the local community and encourages other women to believe that they, too, can choose their lives.
Hamada: When just one woman realizes that she has no choice but to marry the person her parents told her to marry, more people will choose that option. This shows that investing in women is highly effective. I believe that the success of just one person has the power to change the mindset of the entire community.
Hirose: In some cases, women’s proactive participation in their communities has brought about significant changes. In a refugee camp in Palestine, JICA cooperated with the Palestine Liberation Organization to create a system that allows women who had few opportunities to speak out to help improve the living environment in the camp. The women’s voices are now reflected in the living environment, with requests such as job training for women, the creation of parks where children can play safely, and the establishment of day care centers. The women also began to feel that they have a role to play. This is an example of how important it is to support the leadership of women who do not have many opportunities to express their opinions in public.
Palestinian refugee women
We also support the efforts of women living under conflict. In Ukraine, many women are engaged in “life-saving” field activities as landmine clearance workers, but they find it difficult to move in men’s protective clothing. We are therefore planning to donate women’s protective clothing to local institutions to encourage women to engage in their work more safely.
Hamada: So women are participating in decision-making and expanding their sphere of activity?
Japan Needs WPS – Toward a Society Where Women Participate in Decision-Making
Hirose: From the perspective of WPS, which places importance not only on “protecting women” but also on “women’s participation,” we are also engaged in training on the theme of “disaster prevention” in Japan. We invite trainees from around the world to visit areas severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and conduct workshop-style training to discuss disaster management from a gender perspective and to promote women’s leadership.
Hamada: Is there anything that has left an impression on you?
Hirose: When a male neighborhood association president stated, “We are having trouble increasing the number of female neighborhood association members because not many are willing to participate,” a trainee from overseas asked, “Are you trying to find places and times to hold neighborhood association meetings so that women are more likely to attend?” One trainee advised, “Even if you approach individuals, it takes courage for a woman to join a group she does not know alone, so asking several people to become members of an active women’s group can be effective.” It was impressive to see the neighborhood association chairpersons surprised, saying that they had never thought of approaching women’s groups.
Hamada: Meetings of neighborhood associations and community associations are usually set in the evening, right? With women still relying on women for much of the care labor, such as preparing dinner and putting children to bed, it is difficult for women to participate during this time. When I interview people in Japan, especially in rural areas, I sometimes feel that gender awareness is lagging behind even more than in developing countries, and WPS is not just a foreign story, but a solution to Japan’s problems. Without women entering the decision-making process, Japan’s regions will not change.
Hirose: Actually, JICA is cooperating with Saitama Prefecture to incorporate a “gender perspective” into prefectural policies because of the prefecture’s 30 years of experience in promoting gender mainstreaming in developing countries. I feel there is great potential for JICA’s accumulated knowledge and experience to be applied to domestic initiatives.
Hamada JICA’s know-how on how to get women to participate in decision-making is going to be very useful in Japan.
Hirose: The very thing that is important to us at WPS is not only “protecting and safeguarding” women from harm, but also how to get them to participate in the process. In today’s Japanese society, there are many situations where women do not easily participate in decision-making. It is the same in Japan and developing countries. That is why we will continue to cooperate with foreign countries, and also with domestic countries, while sharing examples of women’s participation, we would like to work together with everyone, regardless of gender. I believe that gender equality is an issue that should be promoted as the responsibility of all members of society, not just women, and not just men.
A scene from the movie “Women’s Holiday
Hamada I heard that the Icelandic film “Women’s Holiday” will be shown in JICA on March 8. It is very nice. I covered Iceland in 2024, and what surprised me was that in 1975, 90% of women participated in a strike that took time off from both housework and work. That stalled social activities, and everyone, including the men, realized that women’s labor and free labor had played such a big role. This event led to the advancement of women in society and their participation in politics, the birth of a female president, and the establishment of a legal system. Men, too, were freed from the pressure of being the “mainstay of the family,” and life became easier. I realized that gender equality is a system that makes life easier for everyone, not just women.
Hirose: JICA will continue its efforts to promote gender equality in Japan and abroad. Thank you very much.
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