Women’s Empowerment and Religious Persecution:
A Call for Justice from Japan to Africa

Mrs. Moriko Hori delivered the speech on September 25th during a Special Briefing held on the sidelines of the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

My work is with a UN-affiliated NGO, a faith-based organization that has implemented international cooperation projects to empower women and children in more than 100 countries over the years. Since 1997, we have held General Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Women’s Federation for World Peace Japan alone has supported over 400,000 women and children through various initiatives aimed at stabilizing families in developing countries.

However, following the assassination of Prime Minister Abe, we have faced severe persecution due to our affiliation with the Unification Church and the Women’s Federation. Today, I will focus on the alarming actions taken against us by the Japanese government, the Japanese Communist Party, and the mainstream media.

Humanitarian Projects in Africa 

Two years ago, Keiji Kokuta, a parliamentarian from the Japanese Communist Party, repeatedly attacked Japan’s foreign minister for awarding the Foreign Minister’s Award to Mrs. Akiko Hozan, one of our school chairpersons in Mozambique, Africa. This award, the highest honor granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recognized Mrs. Hozan for her dedication to providing quality education to children in Mozambique. However, under pressure from the Japanese Communist Party, the ministry revoked the award, despite Mrs. Hozan’s achievements and our clear innocence in the matter. It was evident that the ministry acted out of fear, concerned about further attacks from the Communist Party and the media.

As a result of this revocation, we lost 2,000 paying members, which significantly impacted our self-funded organization. This loss has severely undermined our ability to sustain many of our initiatives, threatening the livelihoods of 20,000 beneficiaries globally who rely on our support for food, shelter, education, and medical care.

Let me share a specific example from Senegal, Africa. Our “JAMOO” vocational school helps women achieve financial independence. To date, more than 1,500 women have graduated from the school, with half of them becoming financially independent, having gained both the knowledge and skills needed to start their own businesses. In 2008, the UN recognized this project as one of the best practices in women’s empowerment.

Yet earlier this year, following another attack by the Japanese Communist Party, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs began scrutinizing our involvement in “JAMOO.” They sent four special envoys from Tokyo to Senegal. They demanded the removal of all logos and references to the Women’s Federation, forced the dismissal of one of the teachers, and even pressured the school to change its uniform colors and remove our name from diplomas and school records. This was a blatant attempt to erase our contributions to the project. Despite supporting this school for 30 years, our ties have now been forcibly severed.

Persecution in Japan

Our activities in Japan have also been targeted. Last year, an anti-Unification Church lawyers’ group accused the Women’s Federation of being a “dummy organization” of the Family Federation, falsely claiming we were merely a front to raise funds and recruit new members. These accusations are completely baseless. We are a self-funded organization and do not engage in such activities.

As a result of these protests, many women involved in the Women’s Federation—many of whom are not and have never been members of the Family Federation—are now facing bullying, discrimination, and personal hardship. This harassment has extended to our activities, with local chapters in some cities being barred from using public facilities. Flower shops, printing companies, and even restaurants have refused to provide services to us, influenced by the media’s false narrative, leading to widespread discrimination.

Government interference in the educational rights of parents

This hostility has even affected education. Recently, my 16-year-old son brought home a pamphlet from school, distributed nationwide to students. The pamphlet discusses forms of abuse, listing behaviors often associated with conservative religious parents—such as telling their children they would “go to hell” if they did not attend church—as examples of abuse. It encourages children to report such behavior to a toll-free hotline. While no specific religious groups are named, it is clear that this pamphlet targets the Family Federation, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and even the Roman Catholic Church. This is an alarming example of growing religious intolerance in Japan.

Furthermore, the Japanese Communist Party has actively disrupted our events, such as the Female International Students Japanese Speech Contest, by organizing protests and pressuring universities and local municipalities to disassociate from the Women’s Federation. Despite this harassment, many local governments and universities continue to support us, recognizing the value of our contributions.

We have filed a defamation lawsuit against the lawyers’ group behind these attacks, but sadly, the Tokyo District Court ruled against us. While the court acknowledged that the group’s actions were wrong, they deemed them “understandable,” citing a lack of direct harm as the reason for dismissing our claims.

In conclusion, what is happening to us in Japan is a serious violation of human rights. The media has largely ignored our side of the story, and we have struggled to make our voices heard. This is why I have traveled to various countries, including France and the United States, to raise awareness, and why I am here at the United Nations today.

See Also

JAPAN: 4,536 Days in Captivity — The Man Who Refused to Surrender His Faith

Despite this setback, I remain hopeful that the UN and the Human Rights Council will listen to us. I believe in the power of this institution to bring attention to the injustices we face.

Thank you for your attention. I hope I have been able to convey at least a part of the reality of the situation in Japan, and I would be happy to provide any additional materials to help raise awareness of this issue.

Thank you once again for your time and consideration. Let me know if this meets your expectations or if any further adjustments are needed!

Mrs. Moriko Hori has been the International President of WFWP since 2023 and National President of WFWP Japan since 2016.

Under her leadership, there are 128 chapters all over the world and 500 local chapters in Japan. The primary focus is on strengthening families and educating youth. She also serves as the Director for International Development and Relief Projects at WFWPI. She has worked on more than 110 humanitarian projects in 50 countries, contributing to the implementation of the SDGs, particularly in the areas of women’s empowerment, poverty alleviation, AIDS prevention, awareness, education, and medical aid. Some of her projects have been recognized as Best Practices by the United Nations (https://csonet.org). She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University in the USA, completed her M.A. at the Graduate School of Waseda University in Japan, and finished Ph.D. program in International Relations. Her areas of expertise include “Japan-Korea History Education” and “Reconciliation Studies.” Additionally, she is a Senior Researcher and a board member of the Institute for Peace Policy.

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