United Nations University Joins Guardian Girls Int’l

On December 12, 2024, at the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo, UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala (originally from South Africa) and Guardian Girls International (GGI) Chairman Shin Koyamada (originally from Okayama Prefecture, Japan, known for his role in the Hollywood film The Last Samurai as a co-star, producer, and also the President of KIF Japan) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Through this partnership, UNU and GGI will strengthen their collaboration to promote gender equality, eliminate gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women, and advance women’s empowerment. This initiative aims to build a society where women and community leaders can fully realize their potential.

For activities in Japan, GGI’s parent organization, the Koyamada International Foundation (KIF), through its Japan branch, KIF Japan, will work closely with UNU to advance this mission.

UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala
"SDG Goal 5 focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls—an essential objective. Achieving this requires continuous learning and persistent efforts. I believe this partnership will significantly accelerate progress toward this goal. While much work remains, collaborating with GGI will enable us to achieve concrete outcomes on this critical issue."

GGI Chairman Shin Koyamada
"Gender-based violence is an international human rights violation and occurs daily across the globe. It is crucial for every society to acknowledge this issue and take action to resolve it. I am honored to partner with UNU to address this pressing challenge and look forward to hosting events in Tokyo, across Japan, and internationally to drive this effort forward."

GGI President Nia Lyte
"Eliminating gender-based violence is one of GGI’s highest priorities. We are thrilled to strengthen our efforts through this partnership to empower women and youth in Japan and worldwide."

From 2023 to 2024, GGI has implemented its "Guardian Girls" programs across 16 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. In each country, GGI collaborates with local embassies and consulates, United Nations agencies, government bodies, and other partners to eliminate gender-based violence and empower women.

In Japan, GGI launched the "Guardian Girls Karate" project in Fukuoka in 2023, followed by the "Guardian Girls Aikido" project in Tokyo in 2024.