A Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) symposium was held in Sendai on Thursday to discuss avenues for women's employment and the ongoing recovery effort in the disaster-stricken Tohoku region.
The event titled "SDGs considered from the perspective of disaster-hit areas" was organized by Otekomachi, a website for women run by The Yomiuri Shimbun, in cooperation with the Yomiuri Shimbun Tohoku Headquarters.
World-renowned architect Shigeru Ban delivered the keynote address online from Tokyo.
"Even a temporary shelter can become a semi-permanent structure if it is loved by people who value its comfort," said Ban, who has been an active contributor to relief efforts in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Four entrepreneurs from the Tohoku region gave presentations on job creation and women's work styles in the area. Speakers included Kyoko Watanabe, head of Makigumi LLC, a company that renovates houses left vacant by the disaster.
Mario Kuroba, an actor from Miyagi Prefecture, also appeared in a virtual talk event. "Over the past 10 years, we've worked together, and we've lived together," he said, reflecting on his experience of the disaster. "I learned the true strength hidden in all of us."
Held in honor of International Women's Day on March 8, the symposium was streamed live on YouTube.
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