October 11, 2024
By Adia
From Young Women's Global Action Alliance
Every child has a dream — whether it's to be a firefighter, an astronaut, a cashier, a reporter, a teacher, or whatever other jobs children look up to. For Rina Gonoi, she'd always dreamed of defending her country in Japan's military. It all started with the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that destroyed her town. Before she knew it, JSDF (Japanese Self-Defense Force) came to the rescue, specifically, women soldiers. She looked up to them and wanted to be exactly like them. So, she had a dream as a child like the rest of us. A very special dream.
Mrs. Gonoi quickly followed her dream. She joined the JSDF in 2020, in hopes of also competing in Judo in the Olympics. Rina Gonoi later realized that her hopes and dreams weren't as great as she realized. As one of the few women in JSDF, she was seen as an outcast, just a girl wanting to be like a guy. The men would comment on her body, giving their opinions on her breasts or her body. They would even go as far as to touch her or grab her in very inappropriate ways. After one year, the situation came to the point where three men were sexually assaulting her and pinning her down. Rina Gonoi decided that wasn't the way she wanted to live her life. She quit her dream.
Gonoi spoke about this incident to her superiors in the JSDF. She was completely ignored and laughed at. With no chance of repercussions, she left the JSDF. She decided to take her issues to the media. Gonoi soon gained much backing and support after the news story broke. After her story became famous and reached across the world, the Japanese defense ministry issued an apology, dismissing five of their men, and punishing four others for what they'd done to Gonoi. The Japanese court soon found three men guilty of sexual assault and sentenced them to two years in prison.
Through this great struggle Gonoi had, she has shown great courage and bravery by coming forward to the media and reporting her offenders. As a result of her actions, many people have come forward about their own offenders. In addition, she encouraged the Japanese court to conduct a survey that found over 1,400 complaints of harassment in the military. This finding has ultimately led to policy changes in the government where there is now a harassment complaints system and support services. Rina Gonoi has also encouraged many others around the world, an impressive feat, especially in an environment like hers. Japan is known for discouraging speaking out and being the kind of culture where speaking out is considered too dramatic. Because of her great bravery, she was recognized on the BBC's list of 100 "inspiring and influential women" in 2023, named in Time magazine's "100 next" list of people to watch, and received the international women of courage award in 2024. Even though her struggles were difficult and ongoing, Rina Gonoi never stopped speaking out about her challenges, so that others can someday do the same.
Thank you Rina Gonoi.
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