The first conference of the XV International Congress on Human Rights raised fundamental questions about the rights of women and the fight against gender-based violence. Mana Shimaoka, vice-president and professor of the College of Law at Osaka University in Japan and one of the leading experts of the country on criminal law, presented a detailed overview of the challenges faced by women in Japan and other parts of the world, with an emphasis on preventing and combating violence against women.
The conference was mediated by Justice Angela Issa Haonat, the first Deputy Director of the Superior School of the Judges of the State of Tocantins (ESMAT). Angela said:
“This issue of violence against women is one that is very close to our hearts in Brazil, given some of the difficulties we face in our public policies in this regard."
In her presentation, Shimaoka highlighted the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion in Japanese society. She emphasized that although a significant progress has been made in 2023, there is still much to be done to ensure that women can live in peace and security, without constantly feeling of danger.
The speaker also presented the status of women in Japanese society, as well as statistical comparisons between sexual crimes in Brazil, Japan and France. With a didactic approach, she highlighted the main issues related to criminal law in different countries and victim protection policies.
Shimaoka also stressed the importance of gender equality, pointing out that in Japan there are still significant disparities between the sexes, both in terms of representation in leadership positions and in salaries. In addition, the speaker commented on crime rates in Brazil compared to France:
"International conferences on human rights are fundamental. I came here today to present the current Japanese situation with the idea that this conference should also be an opportunity to deepen discussions of human rights and talk about concrete lives of people, and not just mention abstract and theoretical principles."
