Fukushima nuclear disaster and the violation of women’s & children’s human rights | Greenpeace International

Ms. Fukushima, who evacuated from Fukushima to Kyoto Prefecture with her two young children, is the co-coordinator of a plaintiffs’ group in a lawsuit demanding fair compensation.

The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe may feel like ancient history in world constantly bombarded with news of the another tragedy or disaster. But for those who were impacted by the worst nuclear disaster in a generation, the crisis is far from over. And  it is women and children that have borne the brunt of human rights violations resulting from it, both in the immediate aftermath and as a result of the Japan government’s nuclear resettlement policy.

Japan has ratified multiple international treaties that recognise the right to health as a fundamental human right. It is defined as the “enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,” and includes the right to information and participation as integral tenets of upholding this right. Individuals must be able to make informed choices about their health and influence policy decisions that affect them.

But in the wake of the accident, unaddressed issues with Japan’s nuclear policy and emergency planning, which the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had warned the government about in 2001, led to the direct violation of women's and children’s rights.

And while the injustices faced by women and children in the immediate aftermath of the disaster were the result of policy failure and legislative inaction for a decade prior, the violations of their human rights resulting from the resettlement policy that has been rolled under current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are calculated and deliberate.

MORE: Fukushima nuclear disaster and the violation of women’s & children’s human rights | Greenpeace International

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