Yoko Hayashi

Yoko Hayashi
Born	Hayashi Yōko 1956 Mito, Ibaraki, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Lawyer

Yoko Hayashi (林 陽子 Hayashi Yōko, born 1956) is a Japanese lawyer and partner in the Athena Law Office.^[1] She was formerly an alternate member to the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights from 2004 to 2006. In 2008, she became a member of the Committee which monitors the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),^[2] and in 2015 was serving as Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.^[3] Hayashi has used her legal expertise to improve the status and protect the rights of women.^[4]

Biography

Yoko Hayashi was born in 1956 in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan^[5] and attended Waseda University, where she graduated with an LL.B. in law in 1979.^[6] She was admitted to the Daini Tokyo Bar Association in 1983^[5] and served as the Deputy President of the Women’s Bar Association of Japan from 2002 to 2004.^[6]

Hayashi served as legal counsel for the Tokyo Rape Crisis Centre from 1983 to 1997 and in 1995, served as an adviser to the Japanese Government on the UN 4th World Conference on Women, held in Beijing. In 1996, her commentary entitled "Policies of the Japanese Government Toward Women" was published in a compendium entitled Voices from the Japanese Women's Movement. The commentary was critical of the lack of equality and protection for women in Japan.^[7]

She has been a member of the Expert Committee on Violence against Women (from 2000–2013) and the Specialist Committee on Basic Issues (from 2009-present) for the Gender Equality Bureau of the Japanese Cabinet.^[6] Between 2011 and 2012 she served on the Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company.^[1][8]

In 2004, she was selected as an alternate member to the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights^[9] on which she served until 2006.^[2] In 2008 she became a member of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)^[10] and has served as an expert on the Women's Anti-Discrimination Committee throughout her tenure. The committee is responsible for completing human rights reviews of member countries and evaluating their performances on women's inclusion and protection.^[11][12][4] In 2015, she began serving as Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.^[3]

Selected bibliography

• "Review on Child Abuse Prevention Law", Child Abuse and Neglect Vol. 2 No. 2, (2000) (in Japanese).
• "What is 'Discrimination Against Women'?: Unfair treatment of women for reasons of pregnancy and birth and the equal opportunity law", Josei to Rodo 21 Vol. 15 No. 58, pp. 7–16 (2006) (in Japanese).
• "Discrimination against children born out of wedlock in terms of inheritance", Handbook on Practice of International Human Rights Law (2007) (in Japanese).
• "The Human Rights Council from the viewpoint of the Subcommission on Human Rights", Human Rights International No. 18, pp. 107–109 (2007) (in Japanese).
• "Protection for victims under the revised anti-domestic violence law, the human rights mechanism in prospect", Yushindo-Kobunsha (Tokyo) (2007) (in Japanese).
• "Women’s Rights are Human Rights—issues surrounding the contemporary women’s rights", The memorial publication of 60th anniversary of Japan Civil Liberties Union, Shinhyoron (2007) (in Japanese).
• "The 30th anniversary of CEDAW, the achievements and challenges”. Human Rights Monthly No. 251, (2009) (in Japanese).
• "CEDAW –State Responsibility and Remedies to Victims", Gender and Law Society, Vol. 1 pp 139–153 (2012) (in Japanese).
• "Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Japan", Journal of East Asia and International Law, Vol. 6 No. 2 (30 September 2013): pp 341–366 (in English). Database: DBpia

References

1. "Profile of Lawyers: Yoko Hayashi". Athena Law. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
2. "Result of the Election of the members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. June 29, 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
3. "Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Reviews Situation of Women in Tuvalu". Geneva, Switzerland: The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). 20 February 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
4. Makino, Catherine (3 October 2009). "RIGHTS-JAPAN: Get Cracking on Gender Equality". Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
5. Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory: Vol. 1: Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East & Africa. New Providence, NJ: Martindale-Hubbell. 2003. ISBN 978-1-56160-588-0.
6. "Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women". New York: United Nations Headquarters. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
7. Hayashi, Yoko (1996). "Policies of the Japanese Government Toward Women". In AMPO, Japan Asia Quarterly Review. Voices from the Japanese Women's Movement. Armonk, NY: Sharpe. pp. 82–89. ISBN 1-56324-725-9.
8. "Final Report: Investigation Committee on the Accident at Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company" (PDF). http://www.cas.go.jp/. Japanese Cabinet, Deputy Director General Affairs Office. July 23, 2012. p. 4. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
9. "Subcommission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Concludes Fifty-Sixth Session". New York: United Nations. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
10. "Meeting of States Parties Elects 11 Expert Members to Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women". New York: United Nations. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
11. "As Women’s Anti-Discrimination Committee Begins Review of Country Reports, Spain Boasts Sweeping Legislative Changes, Facing Problems ‘Without Embarrassment’". New York: United Nations. 22 July 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
12. Cusack, Simone (15 June 2012). "CEDAW Committee member Yoko Hayashi (Japan) calls for greater education about CEDAW and its Optional Protocol". Optional Protocol to CEDAW. Retrieved 2 March 2015.