JAPANESE WOMEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 110, 12 May 1938, Page 2

JAPANESE WOMEN

EIGHT FOR SEFI RAGE In Japan, the Far Eastern war is holding up the fight for women’s rights and suffrage. Madame Fusae Ichikawa, president of the Women’s Suffrage League in Tokio, announced in an interview that, active agitation for women’s rights is to be suspended until the hostilities in China are over. Instead, emphasis is to be placed on the training of Japanese women through participation in local health, educational and city improvement drives, and in the national “spiritual mobilisation” campaign. fr lt is hoped by these means to help the Government and at the same time create the necessary training in and knowledge of civic affairs in preparation for a campaign for women’s suf- | frage, Madame Ichikawa explained. An attempt is, however, to be made to win approval for a “family court" proposal in this session of the Diet. Married women in Japan have at present little protection, and most of the "problem” columns in the daily papers are filled by letters from married women wanting to know how to settle their marital difficulties. Th? women do not want divorce, because Japanese law gives the cus- ’ tod\ ol the children lo the father. Litigation in any case is very expen- ‘ sive, and Japanese wives have no lc;al right to control their money.