Happy Women's Map 高知県 女性参政権運動の先駆者 楠瀬 喜多 女史
楠瀬 喜多 女史 Ms. Kita Yanase
1836 - 1968
高知県高知市上町 生誕
Born in Koti-city, Koti-ken
「女に選挙権がないと言うなら私は納税しない。」
"If women don't have the right to vote, I won't pay taxes."
楠瀬喜多女史は婦人参政権運動の草分けです。高知県と県と内務省に訴え出て、日本で始めてそして世界で3番目に女性参政権を認める法令を成立させました。
Ms. Kusunose Kita is a pioneer in the women's suffrage movement. She appealed to the Kochi Prefecture and the Ministry of Home Affairs, successfully enacting the first law in Japan and the third law in the world to recognize women's suffrage.
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楠瀬喜多女史は土佐藩で、米穀商の長女として生まれ、18歳で土佐藩の剣道指南役を勤める楠瀬実と結婚、38歳で死別、2人の間には子供がおらず楠瀬が戸主を相続します。彼女は高知立志社による演説会・討論会に欠かさず出席するようになります。傍聴人はほとんど男子の中、まわりを励まして男女同権論を唱張します。早速、区会議員の撰挙に出かけると、婦女は戸主といへども選挙権は無く、さらに証書の保証人に立つ事はできないと区長から通達されます。そこで彼女は「納税しているのに、女だからという理由で投票できないのはおかしい。権利と義務は両立するはず。投票できないなら税金も納めない。」と抗議文を高知県庁へ提出します。高知県側は要求の受け入れを拒否。彼女は内務省に意見書を提出します。これは婦人参政権運動の初めての実力行使となり、全国紙大坂日報、東京日日新聞などでも報道されます。上町町会を巻き込んだ３ヶ月にわたる抗議行動に県令もついに折れ、1880年日本で始めての女性参政権を認める法令が成立しました。 その後、隣の小高坂村でも同様の条項が実現。しかし、1884年に政府が区町村会法を改正、規則制定権を区町村会から取り上げ参政権は男性のみと規定します。彼女は、立志社の自由民権運動に参加、自ら壇上に立ち自分の意見を述べる女性民権家として弁士として各地を遊説して回ります。高知を訪れる若い民権活動家を自宅に泊めるなど女性解放運動を続け、彼女の名は「民権喜多」として知れわたります。
Kita was born in the Tosa domain (present-day Kochi Prefecture) as the eldest daughter of a grain merchant. At the age of 18, she married Kusunose Minoru, who served as an instructor in swordsmanship for the Tosa domain. After his death at the age of 38, with no children, Kita inherited the family headship. She began attending speech and debate meetings organized by the Kochi Ritsushi-kai (a group advocating for freedom and rights) and actively promoted gender equality among mostly male attendees. When she tried to participate in the selection of district council members, she was notified by the district head that although she was the head of the household, women had no voting rights and couldn't act as guarantors for documents. In response, she submitted a protest letter to the Kochi Prefectural Office, stating, "It is absurd that I, as a taxpayer, am unable to vote simply because I am a woman. Rights and responsibilities should go hand in hand. If I can't vote, then I won't pay taxes." However, the Kochi Prefecture rejected her demands. Undeterred, she submitted her views to the Ministry of Home Affairs. This marked the first exercise of female suffrage activism and gained coverage in national newspapers such as Osaka Nichiho and Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun. After three months of protest, involving the Uemachi town council, the prefectural governor finally gave in, leading to the enactment of Japan's first law recognizing women's suffrage in 1880. The neighboring village of Kodakasaka also achieved a similar provision. However, in 1884, the government amended the law for district and village councils, taking away their authority to create rules and stipulating that suffrage was limited to men only. Kita continued her involvement in the Ritsushi-kai's freedom and rights movement, standing on the platform and expressing her views as a female rights activist, giving speeches across various regions. She hosted young civil rights activists visiting Kochi at her home, continuing her efforts in the women's liberation movement, earning her the nickname "Minken Kita" (Civil Rights Kita), and becoming widely known.
-高知市立自由民権記念館 Kochi Liberty and People's Rights Museum
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