MISSION STATEMENT
Foreign Women’s Association Paruyon has two missions:
- To connect and support foreign women who live in Japan
- To educate about issues foreign women face in Japan and advocate for solutions to these issues.
OUR VALUES – Inclusivity and kindness
One of our key values is inclusivity. Our members come from all over the world. They have diverse backgrounds, different experiences, and different language skills. The reasons why they have come to Japan also vary. Non-binary people are welcome to our meetings.
Another key value is kindness. Living in a foreign country can be very stressful. Kind and encouraging words go a long way. Kindness doesn’t mean that you are not allowed to be angry when you have faced abuse, discrimination, racism, bullying, unkindness, or you are going through culture shock. You can voice your anger in our meetings. We hear you.
We believe kindness is necessary for inclusivity. Kindness makes Paruyon a safe place for foreign women. In our meetings, you can be yourself, talk freely and relax. At Paruyon, we respect our differences. We strive to support foreign women so that each of them can build the life they think is best for them. Paruyon hopes to offer tools to help with this.
We also believe that you can change the world and be kind at the same time. It is possible to advocate and show respect and understanding even to those who disagree with you. Kindness doesn’t mean we would accept unfairness, discrimination, and racism, but kindness means we try to understand where other people come from, why they think and behave in the way they do. We think we can better advocate for the necessary changes in this way.
OUR GOALS
Paruyon was established in 2007, and through the years, it has developed into an organization which caters to the different needs of foreign women and the needs of Japanese society as it faces the challenges of building a multicultural society.
Paruyon (Paljon) is Finnish and means “a lot”.
We hope we can build a community where foreign women can make friends and get useful information and support. A place where foreign women can relax and feel at home. A place to experience “a lot” of good things and enjoy life in Japan.
Join us in building a safe and warm community for foreign women and a more inclusive society for everyone.