At the end of 2015, South Korea and Japan settled one of the most controversial disputes between the two nations. They came to an agreement over reparations to “comfort women,” the so-called women who were abducted and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army in World War II.
It’s a particularly delicate issue since Japan’s colonial past in Korea continues to be a source of tension between the two nations. The Japanese government only admitted its involvement in wartime sexual slavery in 1993 after decades of ignoring the issue.
Now, Japan has finally agreed to a public apology and to giving 8.3 million dollars to a support fund for the remaining women in South Korea.
It’s been a bittersweet moment for surviving comfort women and activists.
On the plus side, the settlement has inspired other countries to renew their efforts to seek reparations. In the Philippines, groups of surviving comfort women called for the Philippine government to support their request for an apology from Japan. And Taiwan hopes to finally make gains in its negotiations with Japan for compensation to Taiwanese victims.
The resolution was also a win for diplomacy. In the wake of increased nuclear threats from North Korea, improving foreign relations between the two regional allies has never been more important.
But not everyone is happy with the resolution. While it may be a step forward for Japan and Korea’s foreign relations, the agreement has its fair share of criticism.
So why are people upset?
The surviving comfort women weren’t consulted in the matter and many activists rejected the deal since it failed to appropriately address their demands.
A statement from the advocacy group, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, points out the resolution “lacks acknowledgment of the fact that the colonial government and its military had committed a systematic crime.”
The larger problem here is sexual violence in conflict and what can be done to address it. Financial compensation is just a starting point. No amount of money can make up for the aftermath of trauma, poverty, and social stigma these women face daily. What helps even more is proper acknowledgment to the victims of all countries involved and continued public education on the issue and its legacy.
For a solution that comes from a place of mutual understanding, it’s also vital to engage women as decision-makers in addressing these issues. When they’re ignored, human rights violations continue to take place.
Sexual violence takes place in many forms but the effects are the same: it impedes the ability for girls and women to progress in any area of life.
Ignoring crimes of sexual violence is an injustice that continues to take place across the world. While the world continues to make progress on Global Goal 5, gender equality, let’s make sure issues like comfort women aren’t left out of the conversation.
Gender-based violence remains one of the greatest barriers in achieving gender equality. The UN reports that 10% of girls worldwide experience some form of sexual violence, and 1 in 3 women still experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
The ongoing efforts to find justice for comfort women serve as a reminder to continue the dialogue on how to end violence against women.
A future with gender equality is a future without sexual violence.