Home Polaris News Please Support Our Project To Protect Women and Children in the Wake of the Tohoku Earthquake
Please Support Our Project To Protect Women and Children
in the Wake of the Tohoku Earthquake
Polaris Project Japan
StopViolenceCampaign
 
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan and the ensuing tsunami on March 11
has killed over ten thousand people while leaving tens of thousands more homeless and under unstable
living conditions in evacuation centers. If you remember the Kobe earthquake in 1995 and Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, there was violence against women and children that arose in the chaos at the makeshift
evacuation centers. There are unconfirmed reports of molestation and groping at the shelters already
coming in. In order to prevent this type of tragedy in the aftermath of the recent disasters, we have
launched a new project that focuses on the following tasks:
 

  •  Raising awareness among women and children about preventing violence, as well as distributing timely information in evacuation centers
  • Providing information and materials to medical and disaster relief personnel on preventing sexual violence against women and children
  • Providing supplies for women and children with awareness raising cards by social workers and medical professionals
  • Advocating actions to strengthen support mechanisms for women and children


    • Since April 4th, we have been distributing hygienic and cosmetic supplies as well as the cards on
    preventing sexual violence to women and children in the evacuation centers.
    The card will mainly be posted in the centers, and stress the importance of communal caring,
    while the cards emphasize each individual’s value. The cards and supplies are currently handed over directly by nurse and caregivers
    to people living in evacuation centers or at home,starting at Soma city and Iwaki-city, Fukushima.
    In addition, with the cooperation of relief workers who provided gender-conscious aid to victims of past disasters
    such as Hurricane Katrina and the Kobe earthquake, we will support the evacuation centers staff with appropriate relief strategies throughout Japan’s reconstruction process. Please follow our project update in English from the project website.
    We are only able to move this project forward with your contributions.

    Please donate today so that we can provide relief to more women and children,
    and move towards a society with no violence and a better Japan.




    Last Updated on Friday, 15 April 2011 12:47
     
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