Key Activities
recommendation to increase the investigation workforce, and the Ministry of Justice announced
plans to establish children-friendly reception rooms.
D. Institutional Improvement Recommendation to Promote the Rights of
Rural Seniors
On April 11, the Commission recommended institutional improvements to the Minister of
Health and Welfare and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to promote the rights
of seniors living in rural areas.
In contrast with urban areas, rural areas have a larger administrative district but a lower
population density, but most life support facilities and welfare facilities are concentrated in the
cities. Such a phenomenon has caused a rapid hollowing-out of rural areas and made a vibrant
economic and cultural life difficult for the rural elderly.
The Commission found it necessary to provide a legal basis to make more tailored welfare
services available for senior community centers in rural areas, starting with those that enjoy
good accessibility and demand. Also, blind spots in welfare services must be removed through
narrowing regional gaps in what senior community welfare centers have to offer.
Rural seniors can benefit from home improvement programs and shared housing, which help
seniors stay healthy during the hot or cold seasons. To prevent violation of privacy in shared
homes and make sure that these homes do not fall below the minimum standard for housing,
the Commission found it necessary to provide a legal basis for shared housing for seniors to be
operated in a human rights-friendly way.
Because the rural elderly don’t have the opportunity to learn about human rights, life support,
or safety, they can easily become targets of human rights violations. This is why the Commission
found it necessary to educate rural seniors in a way that is best for their needs and to update the
Basic Plan on Low Fertility and Aging Society accordingly.
Finally, assistance must be extended to female seniors in rural areas as they remain subjected to
a patriarchal culture and the duty to care for an ailing husband or parent. To address this issue, the
Commission found it necessary to reflect gender perspectives in the Basic Plan on Low Fertility
and Aging Society, including a separate plan to promote the rights of the female elderly in rural
areas.
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