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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
November 1, 2005
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| September 9, 2005 |
Empowerment and Self-Help for Migrant Women in Japan – Carmelita Nuqui |
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| Carmelita Nuqui onboard Peace Boat |
Carmelita Nuqui has been a popular guest with Peace Boat for many years. She joined Peace Boat to talk about her non-profit work with Filipino women migrants who work in the entertainment industry in Japan. |
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| An illustration shows the feelings of many Filipino entertainers working in Japan. |
Carmelita has been concerned for the protection and rights for workers since representing a trade union that helped factory workers gain better conditions while she was at university in Manila. In 1996 she co-founded a non-government organization called Development Action for Women Network (DAWN), which protects the welfare and human rights of Filipino migrants to Japan, particularly women working in the entertainment industry.
In a series of lectures onboard, Carmelita explained the reality for many Filipinos who seek employment in Japan. Due to high unemployment in the Philippines, some women are enticed to work overseas in order to support their families. They enter Japan legally as ‘overseas performing artists’ (OPAs), however, this is usually an expression for “hostessing” (serving customers in bars), according to Carmelita. Work conditions for hostesses in Japan can be unsafe and unreliable. Employers often seize passports, wages are irregular, contracts are flawed, and the work can easily lead to prostitution and sexual exploitation, she said. |
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| Carmelita brought colorful clothing and accessories made by my former entertainers to sell on Peace Boat, with all proceeds going to DAWN. |
Japan is overwhelmingly the main destination for OPAs. Of the 73,685 Filipino OPAs in 2002, only 469 of them worked in countries other than Japan. In March 2005, the Japanese government implemented a new immigration policy that has made it more difficult for Filipinos to get OPA visas. However many women continue to be granted visas. DAWN lobbies the government of The Philippines to recognize the dangers for women working in this industry. “The [Philippines] government makes it very easy for women to work overseas in the entertainment industry, but they offer them no protection or support”, said Carmelita.
Many women return to The Philippines distressed. DAWN helps them to regain dignity and self-confidence through workshops and counseling. Skill-training is also provided in the form of sewing, weaving and tie-dying tuition. This involvement gives the women a sense of independence, and eventually becomes their source of income. Carmelita brought hundreds of these beautifully crafted accessories and garments onboard Peace Boat to sell as fair trade. They were enormously popular, and over 560,000 Japanese yen was raised for DAWN. |
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| After a lecture Peace Boat participants sing a song with Carmelita titled “I Can” |
Some women return to the Philippines with Japanese-Filipino children. A theatre group established by DAWN encourages women to share their experiences as former entertainers and often as single parents to Japanese-Filipino children.
DAWN volunteers in Manila and Japan work hard to locate fathers who have abandoned their parental responsibilities. With over 100,000 Japanese-Filipino children living fatherless in the Philippines, Carmelita said this is more than just a domestic issue. “Some people say this is simply a problem between the parents of the child, but it isn’t, it’s a problem of society”.
Every year, DAWN brings a group of children to Japan, where they travel the country performing musicals that show the hardships of growing up as fatherless Japanese-Filipino children. Where possible, DAWN arranges for children to reunite with their fathers. This can result in emotional healing for the children and their mothers, as well as improved financial support. |
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Hundreds of women and over 400 Japanese-Filipino children have been assisted by DAWN to date. Carmelita is determined to continue to protect and assist these women and children, while lobbying the Government to do the same.
After Carmelita’s talk, the issue of hostessing in Japan was further discussed in a question and answer session. Peace Boat participant Ai Hirota said she had not previously considered the reasons why Filipino women come to work as hostesses in Japan. “Now I have a clearer image of what these women go through”, she said.
Carmelita encouraged continued discussion of the issue between participants during the voyage. “We need to have people to people discussions about what we can do to improve this situation,” she said.
For more information about DAWN, please visit to www.dawnphil.org |
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