A Woman's 50-year Campaign for Her Name
Feb. 14th, 2011 05:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deirdreStory here.
"A group of Japanese citizens filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a civil law that effectively stops women from keeping their surnames when they marry."
Money shot:
Kyoko Tsukamoto, a 75-year-old retired teacher from northern Toyama, said she has waited for more than 50 years for a change in the law, organizing petitions and lobbying lawmakers at Parliament. Now she says she is losing patience. By tradition, she had to use her husband's surname Kojima on their marriage certificate, which means she must also use it on any other legal documents. She can use her maiden name only for private purposes.
"I don't have much time left," Tsukamoto said. "I want to die as Kyoko Tsukamoto."
"A group of Japanese citizens filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a civil law that effectively stops women from keeping their surnames when they marry."
Money shot:
Kyoko Tsukamoto, a 75-year-old retired teacher from northern Toyama, said she has waited for more than 50 years for a change in the law, organizing petitions and lobbying lawmakers at Parliament. Now she says she is losing patience. By tradition, she had to use her husband's surname Kojima on their marriage certificate, which means she must also use it on any other legal documents. She can use her maiden name only for private purposes.
"I don't have much time left," Tsukamoto said. "I want to die as Kyoko Tsukamoto."