The story of the US comfort women is one that can touch even the hardest of hearts. This story has not been publicized in the correct fashion as the governments that were involved have tried to downplay this entire incident. Comfort women were government forced into sexual slavery for the happiness of soldiers and to keep money in the country in some cases. War does make people do terrible things but to force some of your own citizens into slavery for the happiness of foreign soldiers is a heinous act to say the least.
Comfort women were used throughout Asia in various countries. The imperial power that Japan was, they set up comfort stations in many of the territories that they were occupying. South Korea designated areas around US military bases to set up their comfort stations. The reasons that the governments of these countries set up the comfort stations had their differences though.
During WWII Japan was setting up their comfort stations to keep the soldiers morale up. This was also to quell any conflicts that the soldiers might have with their commanding officers. The women in the stations of the Japanese were supposed to be volunteers but that policy was never enforced which led to widespread sexual slavery. The South Korean government the stations near US occupied areas to keep the morale of the soldiers happy as well as for economic reasoning. Lawmakers in 1960 were quoted to have said that the comfort stations should expand and more women should be trained to keep the US soldiers from spending money in neighboring Japan.
These women often came from poor areas of the countries and were often uneducated. Promises of jobs in factories or as nurses coerced the women to leave their homes, then they ended up at the comfort stations. This is not where the deception and the heinous acts stopped, many times in the villages that the soldiers were occupying, the girls would be kidnapped in the middle of the night.
The treatment of these women was very poor to say the least. The women would see sometimes up to 40 soldiers a day and were disciplined if they did not keep the soldiers happy. Women were routinely beaten by the soldiers and abused on a daily basis. Sexually transmitted diseases ran rampant as many of the women began to get sick and die. An estimate of about 75% of the women did not survive their time at the comfort stations. If the women refused to take part in what happened at the comfort stations, they were executed without hesitation. The women are still suffering from PTSD some 60 years after their time at the comfort stations.
With many of these women passing away or dying in their time at the comfort stations makes it important to spread awareness. This is a crime against women that was implemented by governments and militaries. This sexual slavery is not acceptable and the victims of these crimes should be repaid and issued apologies in an even greater capacity than they have already.
