Colliery Society and Women

Housewive's party (Shufu-kai)
of colliery heading for May Day rally(1961)
(釧路市立博物館『炭鉱のくらし・マチの記憶』より)

In the colliery society, women's roles were widely various. They are organizing women's societies to improve labor environment and life, praying for their husbands' and sons' safety who work in a coal mine every day. With labor unions, they not only asked for improvement of labor conditions and carried on struggles to resist closing mines, but also developed their own activities in each region. In addition, women's associations in colliery societies undertook leading situation in women's organizations in the whole Hokaido and districts, and sometimes members of local assemblies appeared one after another out of women's societies, which might give influence on consumer movements in regions. Thus, women's associations in colliery societies are powerful in women's movements in Japan (Hokkaido) after the war. But it seems there seems to be a few records and researches on women's associations in colliery societies (Tanfukyo) in Hokkaido.

JAFCOF is working on researches on the role of women and women's associations in colliery society, the situation of those days and the influence given at present days.