How the Gender Equality Center supports the victims of DV/ trafficking

1. How the Gender Equality Center supports the victims of DV/ trafficking Coordination for the provision of assistance and consultation services

2. Objectives and Functions of gender equality centers They are the public facilities founded and funded by the local governments. There are 326 centers in Japan (2009) To contribute to realize the gender-equal society, through conducting gender–related educational programs for the public, and providing various services for the empowerment of women • Gender-related events and training programs • Programs to support local group’s activities and networkingto promote gender equality • Information centers/libraries • Research and study programs • Counseling rooms for women

3. Kurume municipal gender equality center The building on the outside Entrance lobby

4. Saga prefectural gender equality center Computer room The building on the outside Seminar room Counseling room Child-care room

5. Support of gender-based violence victims The Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims 2001 SV centers(180 locations in 2008) Women’s consulting offices • The Ministry of Health, labour and Welfare • The Anti-Prostitution Law1956 • Have temporary protection facilities(public shelters) • Specialized staff placed Gender equality centers • Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office • The Basic Law for a Gender -equal Society 1999 • Have only counseling rooms • Can utilize gender-sensitive approach and other center functions

6. (SV centers)

7. The results of “Purple Dial”~the nation-wide 24-hour hotline service for sexual violence victims~(2/8~3/27 in 2011, 7 weeks) The number of lines for women 30(daytime)/10(night), for men 2 for crisis counseling 2, for foreigners 1 (12-hour hotline) Total calls 61,328 The number of consultations women 18,454 (75.6%), men 1,824 (8.9%) crisis 2,216 (10.8%), foreigners 978 (4.8%) Answering rates The results of the consultations for foreigners The Contents of the consultations DV cases 307, others 572 (discriminations, human rights, children’s education, legal procedures, visa, human relations, etc.) Sexual violence 18, traffickings 3, sexual harassment 2, stalking 2 Used language Thai 213, Tagalog 143, Chinese 80, English 69, Spanish 19, Korean 10

8. Gender equality centers and women victims of trafficking • They rarely come into contact with the centers --they are still invisible in our society --when the police find them, they are sent to the temporary protection facilities (women’s consulting offices) --they would rather go to NGO support groups • They sometimes emerge at the center as DV victims --those who came to Japan as entertainers, then got married to (or cohabited with) Japanese men --those who came as a bride through mediators of both countries • SV centers are expected to be more aware of the issue of trafficking and provide specific services for them --provide multi-language service (multi-language information cards, hotlines, trained interpreters) Victims of DV and trafficking have so much common in terms of the provision of consultations and assistance

9. In case of kurume cityhow to establish the support system Kurume center • The center was founded (2001) • The counseling room starts with 3 counselors (2001) • Started the network meeting for all the related municipal divisions, organizations and NGO group (2001) • Started the working group to formulate the support system for the victims (2002) • Collaborated with NGO groups and established an NGO shelter for DV victims and their children (2002) • The working group submitted a report to the Mayor(2003) • W.G. conducted the hearings of each division and made the best possible manuals to support the victims (2003) • Started a recycle shop for fund-raising of the shelter(‘03)

10. Working group + network meetings + NGO shelter Center’s role is to coordinate these groups and individuals ercenternteccr Some of the achievements • Exchange of the Network sheets of all the related divisions and organizations for a better and easier collaboration • One-stop service system in the city hall (by utilizing standardized format of recording the cases) for the safety and the alleviation of stress of the victims • Support manuals for each related division to ensure the provision of the best possible assistance at each division • Recycle shop within the center for fund-raising of the shelter and the provision of a place for the empowerment of the victims • Elimination of domestic violence declaration of Kurume city for a better and safer community

11. In case of saga prefecture how we support victims • Start with 2 counselors in 1995 • Authorized as a SV center in 2002 • 3 counselors in 2003 • Establish the DV center to coordinate all the measures to cope with domestic violence, with longer counseling hours and 5 counselors in 2004 • 6 counselors in 2005 • Start networking and social-working in 2006 avance 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

12. To upgrade the quality of assistance provided by the counselors Macro approach • Promoted the overall environment for a better collaboration of all the related organizations --regular, formal conferences and opportunities of trainings of all the related organizations and agencies • Secured the environment easy for each counselor to collaborate with other organizations --provision of more opportunities for various trainings and supervisions of counselors --regular visits of the counselors to each related organizations --small-sized meetings with a particular organization so that each counselor can coordinate all the available social resources well and cooperate with the most appropriate person of the most appropriate organization in the most appropriate way Micro approach

13. But the most important thing is to respect the victims and their decisions For that purpose, we provide various programs for their empowerment …… one example is bodywork • To connect the body and the mind by experiencing the relaxation of the body and opening the mind • To feel safe and confident by experiencing the new body movements and becoming free from the accumulated memories of fear and pain • To recover the control of their own body and the power they have Let’s all try some breathing and posture exercises

14. Part Ⅱ：Case study Assistance to foreign DV victims in Japan --- Ms. A’s case--- ●Ms. A has been physically abused by her husband. She has taken a refuge at her Philipina friend’s house. Ms. A consulted with the police and the police referred her to the center’s counseling room. ●Ms. A’s Philipina friend accompanied her to the center as an interpreter and a supporter.

15. her Family background ●Ms. A is in her 30s and comes from the Philippines. She came to Japan as an entertainer seven years ago. At that time, her travel arrangements has been made by a broker. When she was working at a bar, she met a Japanese man and married him. ●Ms. A lives in a family of 5 which includes her husband who works in a major manufacturing factory, a boy, a girl and her husband’s younger brother who works as a part-time worker. Since the boy has a heart disease and mental disability, Ms. A stayed at home to take care of her children and concentrate on the house work.

16. Situation of domestic violence ●Ms. A and her husband have been quarreling about the behavior of her husband’s younger brother. The younger brother often brought his friends back home late at night and made a loud noise which disturbed the children and the neighbors. ●On the following day after another disturbing night, Ms. A begged her husband to talk to the younger brother to change his behavior. But the husband ignored her plea and never said anything to him. Instead he started beating her. When Ms. A tried to resist, the husband kicked her thighs very hard with his knees repeatedly.

17. Assistance procedure ●Ms. A did not want to leave the city where she was living, since the special school for children with disability where her son went to was located there. Therefore, the Center’s assistance would be based on this request. ●The first step was to secure the safe environment to study for her children, since it was likely that the husband will come looking for them in the school to find out where they escaped to. The Center provided information on the available assistance and upon request, the staff accompanied the client.

18. Case management for the assistance to DV victims (overall view) A:Securing client’s safety at all times B:Continuous assistance for rebuilding life C: Assistance for the client’s and children’s physical and mental rehabilitation D:Assistance for divorce procedure

19. A: Securing client’s safety 1Seek police intervention – Police station 2Apply for Protection order – 6 months restraining order etc 　　／Provincial court, police station 3Relocation to a safe place/shelter 　　／Women’s consulting Office, NGO shelter 4 Prevent pursuit from the perpetrator, Keep strict confidentiality about residential information and client’s private information 　　／Coordinate with relevant divisions within the City Hall e.g. Residential division, Protection division, Family and children affairs Division, Public health care division, Board of Education, etc

20. B: Continuous assistance for rebuilding life 1Assistance on securing accommodation – public housing, private accommodation, social welfare facilities etc 　　 ／ Residential division, Family and children affairs division 2Securing living expenses/ access to welfare funds – utilisation of welfare funds, application for benefit allowances 　　／Life protection division 3Assistance for medical treatments – issuance of medical certificates, provide information on appropriate medical agencies 　　／Public health care division, Medical and pension division 4Assistance for school transfers – to prevent pursuit from the perpetrator 　 ／Board of Education 5Arrangements for child-care facilities ／Childcare division

21. C: Assistance for the client and children’s physical and mental rehabilitation ／Gender equality center 　　／Psychiatrists 1Encourage exhibition of emotion 2Encourage acceptance of one’s self (emotion, sense, decision, choice etc) 3Respect self determination 4Encourage empowerment 5Provide information on appropriate medical agencies 6 Provide information on appropriate self-help groups and children’s program

22. C: Assistance for divorce procedure（Ensure safety of all） 　　 ／Gender equality center 1Organise client’s claims 2Provision of information on lawyers 3Provision of information on the process, necessary documents, estimate costs etc 4Assistance for preparing necessary documents, accompany the client to court hearings/ lawyer’s office, police station etc

23. The role of counselors/case-managers • Listen carefully to the cliant • Focus on what is going right in the client life, what she has, what she can/could do, and let her aware of them and try to use them when we support her strength based support→　the client is the person who survived the difficult circumstances and decided to take action to change her life to a better one • Respect her self-decision • The counselor should be conscious of the strengths and the limitations of one’s organization and oneself • When the case goes beyond one’s boundaries, try not to hold it alone, but refer to the appropriate person/division/organization

24. Thank you for your attention and cooperation! Kyoko Katsuki