Comfort Women: Physical, Psychological and Social Consequences
“Comfort Women”
is a phrase created to designate women who were forced by Japanese soldiers to
be sexual slaves during the Second World War. Between 100,000 and 200,000 Asian
women whose age ranged from 11 to 27 were coerced or kidnapped. All of them had
to endure multiple rapes on an everyday basis, and will difficultly recover from
the terrible consequences of their mournful past. However, obtaining the legal
reparations, the public judgement of those responsible and the official apology
they are demanding, can help them to cope with the physical, psychological and
social consequences they are facing nowadays.
It is absolutely
imperative that the so called ‘Comfort Women’ get the legal reparations they
are demanding, so that they can cope with the severe physical damage they
experience, and which is often visible in different ways. For example, this
damage can be observed in the various illnesses, infections and disorders that
these women got, such as cancer, venereal diseases, tumours, sterility,
insomnia to name but a few. And sometimes physical damage can be perceived with
one’s own eyes as it is presented in the form of permanent scars, dislocated
members or lost of the sense of hearing or sight. The money obtained from the
reparations can truly help Comfort Women to manage these physical consequences.
First, it is necessary for paying the medical treatment for their diseases, which
is often very expensive. And second, it is necessary for paying the medication
required for their condition, which is also costly. Definitely, legal
reparations will be of benefit for the victims of sexual slavery who are
undergoing serious physical consequences.
The judgement of
those responsible of the crimes against Comfort Women can also help the victims
who suffer, even today, of psychological damage. A judgement would help them in
the sense that they would have the assurance that they were not forgotten
before the law and they would see that justice can prevail in their favour. It
would also help to dissipate these women’s fears and apprehensions, since they
will have the guarantee that the men responsible of their suffering can do no
more harm, and it would set a precedent so that sexual crimes can be severely
punished in the future. Besides, knowing that those guilty of such an aberrant
crime were trialled, would help the women coping with feelings of anger,
resentment or self-contempt, appeasing their thirst for vengeance and giving
them peace of mind. Taking all this into account, it can be therefore said that
a criminal judgement can nowadays contribute to the managing of the victims’ psychological
trauma.
Obtaining an
official apology is vital for those women still dealing with the consequences of
living in an unfriendly society. This public acknowledgement would help, for
instance, Kang Duk-Gyung, who was rejected by her own mother, by showing that
ostracism should not even be mentioned in society. Or it would give an answer
to Wan Ai Hua, who could never return to her homeland because her acquaintances
were ashamed of her, by lessening the hostile attitude of the whole community.
Or an official apology would help Ahn Jeom-Soom, who to this day was unable to
marry, by eradicating people’s prejudice. Undoubtedly, a public apology would
be of benefit for the women still facing consequences linked to living in a
hostile society.
After having analyzed
all these points, it can be seen that although nothing can totally solve the physical,
psychological or social consequences that Comfort Women have to face today, and
although nothing will make them forget their sad memories, there is something
that can be done to improve their present situation. So, taking into account
all the time that these women have lost waiting for an answer, they should be
promptly granted what they are asking for: monetary reparations, a trial and an
official pardon, which, as have been previously discussed could help them
manage the effects of a mournful past.
