"Human Security and Trafficking in Person - A Touchstone Issue for Gender Equality and Multicultural conviviality"

OSAWA, Mari  Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo - Professor

What is the current situation of forms of TIP and exploitation routes?
What are effective policy measures to reduce "demand" in Japan, which is among the largest of destination countries?

Trafficking in Person (TIP) is a serious violation of victims’ human rights, mostly women, and a threat to the human security of global society by being a leading source of profits for organized crime regardless of whether they live in developing nations or developed nations. TIP is a touchstone issue for gender equality and multicultural conviviality. Although Japan is expected to make efforts in international cooperation, Japanese society is a major recipient country of trafficked women and girls for sexual exploitation. Surveys and research in order to contribute to solving TIP are required urgently.

This project aims to: 1) elucidate the highly complicated and sophisticated tactics of traffickers and the actual conditions of TIP that react to the laws in Japan.; 2) conduct detailed analysis and action-oriented research of the interviews of the victims returned from Japan, and examine the effective preventive and supportive measures in the sending country; 3) conduct national representative quantitative as well as qualitative survey on commercial sex transactions in order to seek an effective measure of raising awareness and reducing “demand” in Japan, and also identify a wide safety net to protect and support TIP victims both at home and abroad and 4) collect information on the actual situations of “demand” reduction and protection measures and support activities in foreign countries. This project conducts surveys and research in close cooperation with governmental institutions and NGOs in Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines.

This project also focuses on the empowerment approach and cooperates with the returned women as co-researchers. Furthermore,it is planned to provide short-term internships for young researchers who have an interest in international cooperation, promotion of legal literacy, and development.It is a research project with full of elements of international exchange.

An international forum was held in December 2008 co-hosted with the National Women’s Education Centre to exchange opinions and gather information. In order to provide and reinforce a wide safety net that can protect and support trafficking victims, we continue to carry out interview surveys on organizations and foreigners support groups that address human trafficking issues and provide intermediary assistance to victims.

In fiscal 2009 and into the future, this project will make a detailed analysis of the interview surveys of the “returned women” who have returned to their native country after having been trafficked to Japan, and conduct evolving research. Then, effective and specific preventive and supportive measures in the sending country will be figured out. We plan to carry out a interview survey on supporting and preventive measures for victims and activities of governmental institutions and private sector groups, and then compile the findings.

The interview survey will also be conducted in European countries, the United States, and Korea, all of which are implementing advanced efforts regarding human trafficking. In addition, we will examine the policies of the Netherlands and Germany, which have legalized commercial selling of sex services and make an analysis of the relationship between diversified exploitation tactics and gender issues, and then the research findings of the project will be compiled.

HARA, Hiroko  Josai International University, Faculty of International Humanities - Visiting Professor
BANDO, Mariko  Showa Women's University - President
HASHIMOTO, Hiroko  Jumonji University, Faculty of Information Sciences - Professor
Glenda.S. Roberts  Waseda University, Institute of Asia -Pacific Studies - Professor
YOSHIDA, Yoko  Ritsumeikan University, School of Law - Professor
TANAKA, Yumiko  Japan International Cooperation Agency - Senior Advisor
KUSAKABE, Kyoko  The School of Environment, Resources and Development, Gender and Development Studies(GDS)・Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) - Associate Professor
OTSUKI, Nami  The University of the Sacred Heart, Faculty of Liberal Arts - Associate Professor
NAKANO, Hiroe  Office of Research and International Affairs National Women's Education Center - Director and Senior Researcher
AOYAMA, Kaoru  Kobe University, Associate Professor
HATANO, Keiko  University of Fukui, Faculty of Education and Regional Studies - Associate Professor
WATANABE, Miho  National Women's Education Center - Researcher
KOMORIDA, Akio  Kanagawa University, Faculty of Law - Professor
IKEGAMI, Masako  Stockholm University, Department of Political Science - Professor
TAKAMATSU, Kana  University of Tokyo, Institute of Social Science - Research Associate