Trigger Warning: To tell this story, I added direct quotes from interviews and memoirs of “comfort women.” The content of this article may not be suitable for younger audiences. Kindly proceed with caution.
If you have experienced sexual assault, there are resources to help you.
In the Philippines, you can contact Maya’s Organization via mayasorgdavao@gmail.com or info@mayasorganisationphilippines.org. You can also reach them through the following numbers:
UK Mobile: 07494014250
PH Landline: (082) 291 9481
PH Mobile:
0951 384 1724 (Smart)
0966 755 2253 (Globe)
In the U.S., you can contact RAINN’s crisis support service by calling 1.800.656.4673 or using their online chat at rainn.org/resources.
Not sure what to say when a survivor shares her story with you? Start here: “I’m sorry this happened to you. It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong.”
Author: Anya Legarda, She’s the First Youth Ambassador
Author’s Note: As a Filipina, it hit close to home knowing that family and family friends had witnessed the sex crimes committed during Japan’s occupation of the Philippines. I hope that, in a way, this article pays tribute to the strong “comfort women,” and that whoever reads this is reminded of their courage during a time when liberty had no meaning.
“ I hope that, in a way, this article pays tribute to the strong “comfort women,” and that whoever reads this is reminded of their courage during a time when liberty had no meaning. ”
The month of April memorializes sexual violence awareness month. For generations, women have heavily yet wholeheartedly shared the stories of their battles and redemption—empowering other girls to be unafraid to do the same. In the Philippines, a haunting history still lingers: the sexual enslavement of women during the occupation of the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II.
“For generations, women have heavily yet wholeheartedly shared the stories of their battles and redemption—empowering other girls to be unafraid to do the same. ”
On December 8, 1941, Japan invaded the Philippines. During their reign, military officials forced women into sexual slavery, referring to them as “comfort women.” These women worked in “comfort stations,” which military officials would visit after duty. The Japanese government authorized these brothels under the policy titled “Rules of Use for Military Comfort Stations.” This rule ensured that acts of violence against comfort women were strictly prohibited. However, the government did not enforce these regulations, and no record of strict supervision was documented.
Years later, Maria Rosa Luna Henson, more popularly known as “Lola Rosa,” published a book titled Comfort Woman: Slave of Destiny. (Note: the term “Lola” is a Filipino word used to refer to elderly women, particularly grandmothers, as a sign of respect.) This book recounts her experience as a young victim of the sexual crimes committed during the war — making her the first to share her story publicly. She wrote:
I thought he would save me, but he grabbed me from the soldiers and raped me…When he was done, he passed me on to the two soldiers, who took turns raping me. Then they just walked away. It was a very painful experience… I was very sad. I could feel the pain inside me. I was fourteen and had not yet begun to menstruate. I kept thinking, why did this happen to me?
However, this was not the last time this would happen to her, as later on, she was abducted and sex trafficked by the military. In a telling line, she wrote, "At two, the soldiers came. My work began, and I lay down as, one by one, the soldiers raped me. Every day, anywhere — from 12 to over 20 soldiers assaulted me.”
The brave step of making these horrible experiences known to the public was followed by Narcisa Claveria, another comfort woman. She spoke to National Public Radio’s (NPR) Julie McCarthy about her ordeal. Translated in English, Claveria shared:
I was in a different room every night. If I refused, they would whip me. They would flay us with horse whips…If I could prevent the sun from setting, I would have because whenever night fell, life for us became miserable.
Inspired to better understand the struggles and survival of comfort women, I sought accounts from my aunt, Cristina Osmeña, who shared the experiences of her grandmother (my great-grandmother), who witnessed authorities choosing young girls to assault. Cristina wrote to me:
Lola shared one story that stayed in my head about a blond girl who was separated from her family at the Manila Hotel. All the Spanish families from the area were sheltering at the Manila Hotel after their homes were bombed. They were huddled in groups along the halls of the hotel and the Japanese were in charge. At one point, they walked through slowly, shone their light on young girls, and stopped on a girl with blond hair. Lola guessed she was 15 years old. They took her away for hours, and when she returned, she looked like she had lost her mind.
As much as it is sickening, rape was and still is a weapon of war used to inflict terror and dominance among civilians. The “comfort” military men received during wartime was at the expense of the safety and freedom of girls and women.
After the war, there was little discussion of what happened to these women and where they disappeared to. It is said that they were advised to remain silent to avoid causing more tension among the countries involved. Some comfort women were found and rescued, but many were killed during air raids as they were forced to travel with the Japanese military to conflict zones.
Although the Philippines had one of the most prolonged systematic mass-rape dilemmas during the war, other nations suffered the same tragedies, with little to no compensation. An estimated 200,000 women were assaulted and enslaved in South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, and other areas that were occupied by the Japanese Imperial Army. Out of the said number, 1,000 were believed to be Filipinas.
In 1992, the Task Force on Filipino Comfort Women went on nationwide radio, calling for testimonies on the alleged sexual enslavement of Filipino women by the Japanese army. This was the first public, non-governmental acknowledgment of the sexual exploitation of women and girls during the war.
“To this day, no public apology or recognition has been made by either Philippine or Japanese government officials. ”
To this day, no public apology or recognition has been made by either Philippine or Japanese government officials. In fact, in 2018, a bronze female statue that was made in remembrance of the Filipina women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army went “missing” in Manila, Philippines. Its removal was ahead of the annual summit of the Asian Development Bank (ADP) held that year. A day after the monument’s disappearance, former president Rodrigo Duterte said that while the statue was “freedom of expression… it is not the policy of government to antagonize other nations…it has created somehow a bad, you know... you can place it somewhere else.”
The removal of the statue illustrated how the suffering of comfort women was reduced to something insignificant. This was a great insult to the women who faced brutalities during the war, as it seemed government officials were focused on maintaining civility rather than demanding proper acknowledgment and compensation for the families affected.
On March 8, 2023, the United Nations affirmed:
The UN women’s rights committee has found that the Philippines violated the rights of victims of sexual slavery perpetrated by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War by failing to provide reparation, social support, and recognition commensurate with the harm suffered.
Since this statement was released, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla assured the Malaya Lolas, a group of survivors of the wartime female slavery system, that the department will suggest to Congress the passage of a law that will acknowledge the suffering of the victims and provide them with any assistance they may need. However, time is limited, as many of the victims are either deceased, senile, or on bed rest. With this, government officials need to act fast as fewer than thirty survivors remain.
From here on out, I urge my generation to carry former comfort women’s initiatives forward. We may continue sharing the many women’s stories — repeating them over and over, never letting their bravery, resilience, and spirit fade in history.
To extend further support to the remaining victims, you may visit this brochure made by Lila Pilipina, another movement for former Filipina comfort women. In addition, I strongly recommend reading Lola Rosa’s memoir, Comfort Woman: Slave of Destiny, available on Amazon, if you are interested in learning more about the wartime slavery system from first-hand experience.
Image credit: "Lila-Pilipina Brochure," in World History Commons, https://worldhistorycommons.org/lila-pilipina-brochure [accessed April 18, 2023]
Anya Legarda, 16, is a grade 9 student residing in Manila, Philippines. She is a staff writer for her school’s student-led publication. Her work has also been published by Girl Up and Kids for Kids. Anya is a Youth Ambassador for She’s the First, a program that teaches girls advocacy skills to speak up for themselves and their peers at local and global levels. For fun, she enjoys traveling, watching early 2000s Rom-Coms (or sad, old films), reading books, having skincare nights, listening to music, and visiting friends and family.