Female Journalists Set Up Network to Fight Harassment

May 16, 2018

Tokyo- Female journalists who formed a network to fight sexual harassment made a written demand Tuesday that Finance Minister Taro Aso withdraw his remarks including one that there is no criminal charge for the harassment.

The network was established on May 1, following the scandal involving Junichi Fukuda, who resigned in April as the top Finance Ministry bureaucrat for sexual harassment of a female reporter. A total of 86 freelance journalists and reporters at 31 newspapers, news agencies, broadcasters, publishers and online media companies have joined it so far.

In order to create a work environment friendlier to women, the group will consider opening a consultation desk and holding symposiums.

Former Asahi Shimbun reporter and now freelance journalist Yoshiko Hayashi, the representing facilitator of the network, said that despite continuing sexual harassment by news sources and at news organizations, female journalists had been unable to raise their voices.

But they were encouraged by the female reporter's accusation of sexual harassment by the former vice finance minister, she pointed out.

Hayashi criticized Aso for his claim that Fukuda may have been framed for sexual harassment, saying that such a remark is offensive to the victim.

The network also submitted letters urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Seiko Noda, minister for women's empowerment, to develop a law to crack down on sexual harassment. Jiji Press