Japan to Form Team to End Discrimination against People with Disabilities

From Jiji

July 26 2024

TOKYO – The Japanese government decided on Friday to set up a task force to eradicate discrimination against disabled people.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will head the group, which will be made up of all cabinet members.

The decision followed a recent Supreme Court ruling that the former eugenic protection law, which allowed forced sterilizations of disabled people, was unconstitutional. The first meeting of the task force will be held on Monday.

“We’ll enhance initiatives including education and awareness-raising activity to root out eugenic ideology and prejudice and discrimination against people with disabilities after reviewing our efforts so far,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference.

Kishida promised to tackle the issue across all government agencies July 17, when he met with plaintiffs in litigation against the government over forced sterilizations.