1st Quarterly, 2007 No.143
Fact-Finding Survey of Minority Women in Japan
A fact-finding survey was conducted into the actual conditions of Buraku, Korean and Ainu women in Japan during the period of 2004 and 2005. The survey was carried out by the Buraku Liberation League, the APRO Women Fact-Finding Survey Project, and the Sapporo Branch of the Hokkaido UTARI Association under the initiatives of the IMADR-Japan Committee in the course of developing a network among minority women in Japan for the elimination of multiple types of discrimination against them. In this issue, we focus on the results of the survey on Buraku women that were published in vol. 579 of the monthly magazine "Buraku Kaiho" in March 2007. We hope to focus on Korean and Ainu women in following issues of this newsletter.
From an Understanding of Actual Conditions to the Establishment of Policies
Kazue Minami
The survey interviewed participants of the Buraku Liberation National Women's Rally (i.e. female activists). The results are therefore not an exact picture of the actual conditions of Buraku women. However, information on 1,405 Buraku women was collected, particularly regarding discrimination in marriage, work, education and domestic violence. Men are not unrelated to the problems faced by women. For the realization of a society in which women and men have equal rights and coexist peacefully, it is important to ensure the equal participation of women at all levels of organizational structure. For this end too, we are required to spotlight the actual conditions of women in Buraku communities, and urge the government to conduct a fact-finding survey of minority women in Japan and to create appropriate policies according to its findings.
Community and Family Structure
The first section of the survey covered community and family structure. The survey used a questionnaire given to participants in the Buraku Liberation National Women's Rally, which was held in Tottori in 2005. A significant proportion of respondents (30%) were therefore from Tottori Prefecture. The composition of respondents by region was as follows: 33.9% from the Chugoku region (Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Okayama), 31.5% from the Kinki region (Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Wakayama, Nara, Shiga), 13% from Kyushu (Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Kagoshima), 10.3% from Shikoku (Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, Tokushima), and 7.6% from the Kanto region (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Ibaragi, Chiba, Tochigi, Gunma).
Looking at the composition of respondents by age, one third of respondents were in their 50's. They were followed by those in their 60's and 40's. Relatively few were aged in their 20s and 30s, which is presumably due to the presence of people with young children in these age groups and subsequent difficulties being away from home overnight, or that they share household chores with their partners.
34.9% of respondents (491 people) live in the same place in which they were born. In general, women tend to leave their hometowns when they marry. Through this survey, it was found that one in three married women live in the Buraku in which they were born. Buraku women tend to live in their birthplace after marriage with either Buraku or non-Buraku men. It is presumed that they find their birthplace the easiest place in which to live.
In a comments area on the survey, respondents wrote, "There are not a few women in Buraku who have divorced. I am happy in my second-marriage. My first marriage was with a non-Buraku man, but now I am married to a Buraku man," "Twice I married non-Buraku men, but both marriages failed. I then married a Buraku man, and now I am happy because I feel comfortable talking with my husband about myself and the liberation movement." Their statements show that the attitudes held by husbands and wives regarding the Buraku problem have a major impact on their relationships.
There are other reasons besides the issue of livability that Buraku women choose to continue to live in their birthplaces after marriage. One reason is that some women who marry non-Buraku men return to their Buraku community after facing discrimination. Another is the choice to live in the Buraku where the wife was born due to strong opposition to the marriage by relatives of the non-Buraku husband.
Regarding family composition, 11.2% of homes are single-mother households, which is 5.2 points higher than the national average. This shows that many Buraku women have divorced or been single mothers from the outset. A further survey is required to investigate more into this issue. Also, the proportion of two- or three-family households is very high in the Tokai (Shizuoka, Gifu, Aichi, Mie) and Chugoku regions. This is related to the types of available housing. In the Kinki region, especially in Osaka, the overwhelming proportion of households is in public housing or apartment buildings run by public corporations. In the Kanto region, most families live in detached houses. This reflects the housing policies under the Dowa Special Measures and the different types of housing available in rural and urban areas.
74.8% of respondents (1051 persons) answered that they are of Buraku origin. Among these people, 60.9% (640 persons) answered that they are "proud" or "rather proud" of having Buraku origin, whereas 31.9% (335 persons) answered that they are "somewhat not proud" or "not proud" of having Buraku origin. It is presumed that behind their answers are their personal histories of struggling against Buraku discrimination, the livability of Buraku areas, and the sense of warmth they feel towards their communities.
Marriage, Marriage Discrimination and Single Parent Families
The second section of the survey covered marriage, marriage discrimination and single-mother families. Concerning the marital status of respondents, 73.2% (1,015 people) were married, 13.8% (194 people) were widowers, and 9.1% (128 people) were divorced. 64.95 (255 people) of respondents in their 60's, 80.0% (403 people) of those in their 50's, and 83.5% (258 people) of those in their 40's were married. Divorced respondents were found more in the 40's and 50's age groups. Widowers are prevalent in the 60's and over age groups.
29.0% of respondents (407 people) answered that they had been subjected to marriage discrimination. The proportions of respondents aged in their 30's, 40's and 50's who have experienced marriage discrimination are quite similar for each age group: 34.3% (23 people) of those in their 30's, 35.3% (109 people) of those in their 40's, and 30.4% (153 people) of those in their 50's. However, the percentages are very small for the 60's and 70's age groups. This could be due to a high proportion of arranged marriages having occurred amongst these age groups. Marriage discrimination features more prominently in groups with higher proportions of intermarriage between Buraku and non-Buraku people.
25.8% (362 people) of respondents answered that they have experienced discrimination in marriage. There is no conspicuous difference between age groups. Those who have experienced such discrimination stated they have been treated in a discriminatory manner. To the question of "who treated you in a discriminatory manner?" the most frequently given answer was "neighbors" at 34.5% (125 people). The next was "relatives of my husband" at 24.0% (87 people). Those answering "my husband" accounted for 9.7% (35 people). A question remains as to why husbands in these cases have acted in this way, since couples have assumedly overcome marriage discrimination or objections to their marriage by the time they actually marry. We will try to clarify this issue in future research. Other occasions in which respondents stated they have been subjected to discrimination include matters involving their children, workplaces, and daily lives such as in hospitals or nursery gardens.
Regarding the cause of single-mother families, 47.8% (75 people) of respondents aged 50 or over answered "divorce," and 40.1% (63 people) answered "bereavement". Divorce is the most frequent reason among those aged in their 30's and 40's. Regarding the question about the use of the public assistance programs and measures to help single-mother families, the most frequently used program, taken up by 37.6% of respondents (59 people), was the child-rearing allowance. This was followed by "assistance with medical expenses" at 26.1% (41 people) and "school expense subsidies" at 22.9% (33 people). Few people use "social security programs" or "well-being consultation program". This is presumably due to complicated application processes in these programs, lack of awareness of the programs, or failure to qualify for the conditions imposed by the programs.
Health and Well-being
The third section of the survey covered the areas of health and well-being. 2.8% of respondents (40 people) aged over 60 stated they do not subscribe to or receive a public or bereaved family pension. Many respondents also expressed anxiety about retirement in a comments area. Examples of such comments are, "My husband has just retired at the age of 60. His pension payments start at age 65, so we will have no source of income for five years," "Medical assistance is a great help to us. If it is terminated, we will immediately be in trouble. I cannot afford to pay for a pension scheme, so I am anxious about my old age."
Past national surveys into Buraku district living conditions revealed that the percentage of families receiving public assistance was higher than the national average. The results of this survey, however, indicate a lower percentage than the average for Buraku districts. This is due to the fact that many of the people who responded to the current survey have permanent jobs. But, when we look carefully at the results by region, Shikoku has higher percentages of families, including single-parent families, on public assistance.
With regard to health, respondents in regular employment stated that they have received regular medical check-ups over the past three years, but nearly 20% of respondents stated that they have not received a check-up for the past five years. 35.2% (495 people) stated that they have a chronic health complaint. The proportion of people with such complaints increases with age. 96.4% (1,355 people) had health insurance, and 2.7% (38 people) did not. Ten of these 38 people do not receive public assistance. They do not subscribe to health insurance because they are not in regular employment or cannot afford to do so.
5.7% (80 people) responded that they do not go to a medical institution when they become ill. There were several reasons for this, including "financial difficulties," which accounts for 18.8% of respondents (15 people). With regard to a question on the decision of whether or not to have children, 45.3% (616 people), many of whom are aged in their 50's and 60's, answered that they would just take things as they came. Those who answered that they would discuss the issue with their husband and make a decision accounted for 36.9% of respondents (502 people), many of whom are in younger age groups. One respondent commented, "Today, women have many choices. People do not care whether you are single, married, divorced or anything else. When I was younger, women were expected to choose marriage, not a career. Now, society has become more favorable towards women. However, people still expect a baby once a woman is married. Whether to have a baby or not is the couple's business, but sometimes they are encouraged by other people to have a baby. There is still a prevalent belief that men and women are considered fully-fledged adults only when they become parents. The eldest son or heir is an important concern for people, especially in rural areas."
Education and Literacy
The fourth section of the survey covered education and literacy. With regard to educational background, 44.7% of respondents (628 people) answered that they were educated to high school level. This is followed by 34.0% (478 people) who were educated to junior high school level. While a scholarship program provided by the Japan Scholarship Foundation has been available to the general public, including Buraku children, a special scholarship program for Buraku children was also started in 1956 by Osaka City. Since 1969 when the Dowa Special Measures law was enacted, other municipal governments, along with the national government, also started scholarship programs for Buraku children. As a result, the proportion of people educated to high school level is rising for those aged under 60. Among those currently in their 60's, 8.4% (33 people) were educated to elementary school level, while 58.0% (228 people) progressed to junior high school. Those who withdrew from elementary or junior high schools account for 3% of all respondents (42 people). 43.8% (616 people) answered that they did not receive a scholarship program grant as there were no programs available when they were students.
Regarding literacy, those who answered that they can read Chinese characters in addition to hiragana and katakana (phonetic scripts) account for 10.9% of respondents (153 people). 1.6% (23 people) stated that they can read hiragana and katakana, but not Chinese characters, while 0.3% (4 people) cannot read at all. With regard to writing ability, those who can write some Chinese characters account for 16.8% of respondents (236 people), while 2.3% (33 people) can write only hiragana and katakana, and 0.1% (2 people) cannot write at all. These results indicate a continuing need for literacy activities.
With regard to computers, 40.2% (565 people) answered that they used the Internet and computers at home or at work. 30.6% (430 people) answered that computer use was not personally necessary. The proportions of respondents from whom computer use was not necessary were lower with age. 11.7% of respondents (165 people) answered that they want to use computers, but do not have opportunities to learn.
Work
The fifth section of the survey covered work. 72.1% of respondents (1,013 people) answered that they are currently in employment. By age group, 91.0% (61 people) of those in their 30's, 92.9% (282 people) of those in their 40's, 50.6% (199 people) of those in their 60's, and 28.0% (28 people) of those in their 70's are currently in employment. Generally, graphs of the employment of women used to be in the shape of an "M." However, in recent years, this is changing into a trapezoid shape. These results reveal that Buraku women continue to work even when they get older.
Regarding employment status, 35.0% (355 people) are permanent employees, while 32.4% (328 people) are part-time workers. The majority work at small companies with average annual salaries of around two million yen and 40-hour work weeks. The survey reveals that those in part-time employment work under the same conditions as permanent employees, but with annual incomes of less than two million yen.
The survey asked, "have you been subject to discrimination or sensed that you were subject to discrimination, when you were seeking employment." 1.9% (26 people) answered that their job applications were turned down due to "nationality or birthplace." 7.0% (98 people) felt they were discriminated against during the job interview. 40.2% (565 people) answered "not really" to the above question, but it is plausible that these respondents are either employed by companies located in Buraku areas or did not discern discriminatory questions asked during the job interview.
Work Conditions, Gender Status and Domestic Violence
The sixth section of the survey covered work conditions, gender status and domestic violence. The survey reveals that many women are either under employment contracts that do not guarantee paid holidays or menstrual leave, which are required by the Labor Standards Law, or they find it very difficult to use such leave even when companies officially allocate it. 364 cases of sexual harassment in the workplace were reported by respondents, including physical, verbal and behavioral harassment. Complaints about work environments include wage disparities and issues regarding promotions and other incentives, presumably based on gender and Buraku origin.
The seventh section of the survey covered domestic violence. 7.6% of respondents (107 people) stated their husbands or boyfriends have often abused them, while those who have been battered a few times account for 22.8% (320 people). Also, those who answered that they have had personal valuables thrown away or broken by husbands or boyfriends account for 10.7% (150 people), and 17.3% (243 people) have been verbally abused.
19.0% of respondents (168 people) went to somebody for advice when they were assaulted, 38.3% (339 people) did not, and 42.7% (378 people) gave no answer to this question. For advice, many respondents went to legal affairs bureaus, local human rights bureaus, human rights commissioners, women's consultation centers, or general facilities for women. 73.5% (1032 people) answered that they knew about the Domestic Violence Protection Law, which is because most respondents are involved in Buraku liberation activities.
Conclusion
To date, the liberation movement has not conducted a survey of Buraku women with regard to the problem of domestic violence. What does domestic violence mean to women? How do we see it? Answers to these questions vary even among women. But it is an undeniable truth that violence should never be condoned. In Japan's tradition and customs, it has been considered a virtue for women to suffer through whatever came. This "virtue" has been planted into women over a long period of time. Women are not objects, but independent individuals. However, it is essential that we consider the historical and social conditions we have been put under when discussing how to address the problem of "domestic violence."
For our future activities, we will try to investigate the actual conditions faced by Buraku women throughout the country in a more precise manner, while appreciating what has emerged through this survey.
END
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