“comfort women” History and Issues
Introduction
The study of history connects us to our past, enables us to assess the present, and guides us forward; it provides students with the framework and tools to understand the world, examine the role each person plays, and decide how they want to have an impact. History often records the voices of the powerful while ignoring those of marginalized populations. We can address these severe disparities by critically examining information from multiple sources, making historical connections through inquiry-based learning, and drawing our own conclusions based on evidence and reasoning. Through this process, students gain a deeper and broader understanding of history while also getting the opportunity to reflect on their values and choices for today and tomorrow.
The mission of the Education for Social Justice Foundation (ESJF) is to provide education on past injustices that have been relegated to the sidelines of history. This publication is dedicated to the history of and issues surrounding Japanese military sexual slavery.
The Japanese military sexual slavery system, established and operated by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces from the 1930s until the end of World War II, forced hundreds of thousands of women and girls from at least thirteen Asian countries into military sexual slavery (Appendix A). The massive scale and chillingly methodical nature of Japanese military sexual slavery along with the mass murder of numerous victims as the military faced defeat make the Japanese military sexual slavery system one of the most profound instances of human rights violations in history. In fact, in 1998, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights defined Japanese military sexual slavery as a crime against humanity.
However, Japan’s official position on the “comfort women” system does not reflect the views and experiences of the survivors. Instead of formally acknowledging this crime against humanity, the Japanese government misrepresents or denies the history of Japanese military sex slaves, often referred to as “comfort women.” The term “comfort women,” which ignores the atrocious and inhumane reality of Japanese military sex slaves, was in common use for decades. In order to make the connection, this resource guide uses the terms “comfort women” and Japanese military sex slaves interchangeably. To indicate the dehumanizing nature of the term, “comfort women” is enclosed in quotes. Although some supporters of Japan’s official position erroneously believe that “comfort women” issues are strictly political issues between Korea and Japan, this is not so. This dark history of state-sanctioned military sexual violence and slavery is about widespread human rights violations against women and girls. The effects of this systemic, state-sanctioned military sexual enslavement of the ’30s and ’40s have rippled outward to other tragedies of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict and non-conflict around the globe. Hence, since the early 1990s, survivors of the “comfort women” system have demanded an official apology and reparations from the Japanese government. Together with their justice-seeking supporters, the survivors transformed their fight for restorative justice into a transnational women’s human rights movement.
The state-sanctioned Japanese military sexual slavery system exposes the devastating impact of WWII in Asia on women and girls. Studying this history offers a multi-faceted intersection of imperialism, human rights violations, violence, discrimination, and ongoing injustice rooted in distortion and denial of history. The section Central Themes and Research Topics is especially useful in addressing this end.
Aligned with the Common Core Standards, the History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools (K-12), and the 2017 California H-SS Framework, this resource guide provides lesson plans and materials to teach “comfort women” history or as well as a vehicle to address sexual and gender-based violence across history worldwide. Throughout the resource guide, comparative thinking strategies are heavily incorporated, prodding students to ask questions, think, and rethink. Open-ended questions before and after each sub-section also invite students’ inquiry-thinking skills and further learning. Overall, in addition to providing education on the history of and issues surrounding Japanese military sexual slavery, this resource guide is designed to help students develop their analytical, critical, and comparative thinking skills, while increasing a sense of agency and civic engagement.
The third edition of “Comfort Women” History and Issues: Teacher Resource Guide is comprised of five main parts:
1) the history of remembering and honoring “comfort women” through education and collective activism;
2) reflections from former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Eric Mar, who proposed a resolution to install a memorial for “comfort women,” and from sculptor Steven Whyte, who designed the Women’s Column of Strength, co-written by gallery director, Ellen Wilson;
3) primary source documents with background information;
4) survivors’ testimonies from Korea, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and the Netherlands;
5) lesson plans, worksheets, and activity sheets.
Lesson plans were developed by Christina Tang, Faye Kwan, Erin Hanlon, and Carrie Seidler, active San Francisco Bay Area high school teachers who are committed to teaching the history of marginalized populations. Parents and educators developed activity sheets to reinforce and integrate learning. These supplemental materials include a back-to-back sheet of quick facts on military sex slaves and a map that can be used as a paper fortune teller origami activity and puzzles. Together with dedicated teachers, parents, and advocates, ESJF distributed “Comfort Women” History and Issues: Teacher Resource Guide throughout SFUSD high schools in spring 2018.
This resource guide is the culmination of community collaboration. Without the input of other justice-seeking individuals, both here and abroad, it would not have come to fruition. Education has always been a basic building block and pillar for human progress. ESJF hopes that this publication can help students increase their historical and social awareness, standing together for peace and justice.
Sung Sohn, M.Ed. Co-Founder & Executive Director Education for Social Justice Foundation
The mission of the Education for Social Justice Foundation (ESJF) is to provide education on past injustices that have been relegated to the sidelines of history. This publication is dedicated to the history of and issues surrounding Japanese military sexual slavery.
The Japanese military sexual slavery system, established and operated by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces from the 1930s until the end of World War II, forced hundreds of thousands of women and girls from at least thirteen Asian countries into military sexual slavery (Appendix A). The massive scale and chillingly methodical nature of Japanese military sexual slavery along with the mass murder of numerous victims as the military faced defeat make the Japanese military sexual slavery system one of the most profound instances of human rights violations in history. In fact, in 1998, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights defined Japanese military sexual slavery as a crime against humanity.
However, Japan’s official position on the “comfort women” system does not reflect the views and experiences of the survivors. Instead of formally acknowledging this crime against humanity, the Japanese government misrepresents or denies the history of Japanese military sex slaves, often referred to as “comfort women.” The term “comfort women,” which ignores the atrocious and inhumane reality of Japanese military sex slaves, was in common use for decades. In order to make the connection, this resource guide uses the terms “comfort women” and Japanese military sex slaves interchangeably. To indicate the dehumanizing nature of the term, “comfort women” is enclosed in quotes. Although some supporters of Japan’s official position erroneously believe that “comfort women” issues are strictly political issues between Korea and Japan, this is not so. This dark history of state-sanctioned military sexual violence and slavery is about widespread human rights violations against women and girls. The effects of this systemic, state-sanctioned military sexual enslavement of the ’30s and ’40s have rippled outward to other tragedies of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict and non-conflict around the globe. Hence, since the early 1990s, survivors of the “comfort women” system have demanded an official apology and reparations from the Japanese government. Together with their justice-seeking supporters, the survivors transformed their fight for restorative justice into a transnational women’s human rights movement.
The state-sanctioned Japanese military sexual slavery system exposes the devastating impact of WWII in Asia on women and girls. Studying this history offers a multi-faceted intersection of imperialism, human rights violations, violence, discrimination, and ongoing injustice rooted in distortion and denial of history. The section Central Themes and Research Topics is especially useful in addressing this end.
Aligned with the Common Core Standards, the History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools (K-12), and the 2017 California H-SS Framework, this resource guide provides lesson plans and materials to teach “comfort women” history or as well as a vehicle to address sexual and gender-based violence across history worldwide. Throughout the resource guide, comparative thinking strategies are heavily incorporated, prodding students to ask questions, think, and rethink. Open-ended questions before and after each sub-section also invite students’ inquiry-thinking skills and further learning. Overall, in addition to providing education on the history of and issues surrounding Japanese military sexual slavery, this resource guide is designed to help students develop their analytical, critical, and comparative thinking skills, while increasing a sense of agency and civic engagement.
The third edition of “Comfort Women” History and Issues: Teacher Resource Guide is comprised of five main parts:
1) the history of remembering and honoring “comfort women” through education and collective activism;
2) reflections from former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Eric Mar, who proposed a resolution to install a memorial for “comfort women,” and from sculptor Steven Whyte, who designed the Women’s Column of Strength, co-written by gallery director, Ellen Wilson;
3) primary source documents with background information;
4) survivors’ testimonies from Korea, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and the Netherlands;
5) lesson plans, worksheets, and activity sheets.
Lesson plans were developed by Christina Tang, Faye Kwan, Erin Hanlon, and Carrie Seidler, active San Francisco Bay Area high school teachers who are committed to teaching the history of marginalized populations. Parents and educators developed activity sheets to reinforce and integrate learning. These supplemental materials include a back-to-back sheet of quick facts on military sex slaves and a map that can be used as a paper fortune teller origami activity and puzzles. Together with dedicated teachers, parents, and advocates, ESJF distributed “Comfort Women” History and Issues: Teacher Resource Guide throughout SFUSD high schools in spring 2018.
This resource guide is the culmination of community collaboration. Without the input of other justice-seeking individuals, both here and abroad, it would not have come to fruition. Education has always been a basic building block and pillar for human progress. ESJF hopes that this publication can help students increase their historical and social awareness, standing together for peace and justice.
Sung Sohn, M.Ed. Co-Founder & Executive Director Education for Social Justice Foundation