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Flowers for Sexual Assault Victims: Collective Empowerment through Empathy in Japan's #MeToo Movement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2021

Mari Miura
Mari Miura*
Affiliation:
Sophia University
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Extract

The #MeToo movement in Japan is usually considered to have started slowly, and it remains far smaller and quieter compared with those found in the United States or South Korea. Few celebrities or high-profile figures have come forward to support the movement, and even fewer powerful men have been brought down as a result of allegations of sexual assault. The strategy of naming and shaming has rarely been used, but there is collective empowerment through empathy resulting from a nationwide grassroots movement known as “Flower Demo.” This movement has provided victims with a safe space to share their experiences. Those breaking their silence have appeared in various sectors of society, and this has raised the social consciousness of deep-rooted sexism inherent in Japanese society.

Type
Critical Perspectives on Gender and Politics
Information
Politics & Gender , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , December 2021 , pp. 521 - 527
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Women, Gender, and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association

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References

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