Today is International Women’s Day, and all over the world people are highlighting and celebrating the progress and achievements women have made. Here in Japan, considerable inequity continues to exist, with our host country ranked 110 out of 140 countries in gender equality. TELL‘s focus is improving mental health for all. For women, mental health issues are frequently linked to their experiences of violence and abuse. While general progress in these areas over time may be encouraging, there is still a long way to go. One in three women experience physical and/or sexual abuse in their lifetime. A 2016 UNICEF report found that adolescent females are the most vulnerable group, with intimate partner violence accounting for the second leading cause of death of 10–19 year-old girls around the world. For the third year, TELL is continuing to make a noise about the rape and sexual assault laws in Japan and the difficulties surrounding reporting, seeking help, and supporting survivors. If you would like to support TELL in this movement and help make a difference this International Women’s Day, you can donate to their Global Giving Girls campaign project. The Global Giving Girls campaign runs until March 13th. TELL’s Girls Campaign project aims to reduce the incidence of sexual violence against girls and young women in Japan through 1.) innovative school and university-based educational consent workshops aimed at changing attitudes, & 2.) trauma education support groups to help survivors thrive.
