Message of Solidarity from Hiroshima for the International Women’s Day, 2006

In the name of the meeting for the International Women’s Day 2006 in Hiroshima, we send to all of you our heartfelt salutation of friendship. In this year, we have the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Constitution, who’s 9th and 24th articles strongly support the steps of women toward a peaceful society. We will have on the 4th of March a meeting for the International Women’s Day. At the meeting, we will watch the documentary film "Gift of Beate" whichis about the post-war life of Japanese women and Beate Sirota Gordon, a woman from the US who worked for the adoption of articles 14 and 24, and we will have a speech about the Japanese Constitution and women.

Even now, war still persists in the world, and we fear that now in Japan there is a social movement to change article 9 so that Japan could engage in war. In war, one neglects the foremost human rights of defenseless people, women, children, and the old. We, the women of Hiroshima, again learn the articles of the Constitution and wish to work together for peace and human rights of women in the world. Let women extend and hold hands across the walls of religion, nationality, and culture for the construction of peace in the 21st century.

Ms Nobumasa Tieko, the representative of the Committee for the International Women’s Day 2006 and municipality of Hiroshima.
With the organizations of [long list of participating organizations]

The 9th article of the Japanese Constitution. The Japanese People, sincerely desiring international peace based on justice and order, for all time reject both war, as a function of govermental power, and threat of armed force or use of armed force as the means of solving international conflict. To achieve the goal of the previous paragraph, it will neve have land, sea, or air forces or other army units. We do not recognize the right of warfare in the country.

The 24th article of the Japanese Constitution. Marriage shall consist only through the mutual consent of a man and a woman, which will be held as a reciprocal cooperative on the basis of equal rights for husband and wife. Concerning the choice of husband or of wife, rights of property, inheritance, choice of lodging, divorce, and also the other things related to marriage and family, laws will be made on the basis of individual dignity and the essential equality of both sexes.

Send response to : s-ino OSIOKA Taeko. Mail :
osioka@mail.goo.ne.jp