Japanese Politician Faces 8,000 Death Threats Over Proposal for Free Menstrual Products

Ayaka Yoshida's call for free sanitary pads in public restrooms has sparked a police investigation and renewed focus on gender-based harassment in Japan.

• Ayaka Yoshida, a 27-year-old member of the Mie prefectural assembly, proposed free sanitary pads in public restrooms after being caught off guard by her period at Tsu City Hall.
• Following her proposal on March 25, Yoshida received over 8,000 death threats via email, sent from a single address at one-minute intervals over a four-day period.
• The identical emails included threats to her life and mocked her for not carrying emergency sanitary pads, reflecting a pattern of online abuse targeting women in politics.
• Yoshida filed a police complaint on March 31, and an investigation into the coordinated threats is currently underway.
• The incident has drawn national and international attention to systemic issues of gender-based harassment and the need for improved access to menstrual products in Japan.

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