Comfort Women

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.