UN: Philippines violated rights of sexual slavery victims

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations women’s rights committee has found that the Philippines violated the rights of victims of sexual slavery known as “comfort women” during World War II.

In a statement, it said the country has failed to provide reparation, social support and recognition commensurate with the harm the women suffered.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) yesterday issued its decision after examining a complaint filed by 24 Filipina nationals, members of the Malaya Lolas (Free Grandmothers), a non-profit organization established to provide support to sexual slavery survivors.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

The committee said the victims of sexual slavery perpetrated by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War had repeatedly raised their demands in the Philippines, asking the Philippine government to support their claims against Japan for reparations for their suffering from the sexual slavery system.

“They asserted that the Philippines’ failure to fight for their cause had essentially resulted in ongoing discrimination against them that continues to this day,” CEDAW said.

“This is a symbolic moment of victory for these victims who were previously silenced, ignored, written off and erased from history in the Philippines,” committee member Marion Bethel said.

“The committee’s views pave the way for restoring their dignity, integrity, reputation and honor,” she added.

Pointing to the extreme severity of gender-based violence suffered by the victims and the continuing discrimination against them regarding restitution, compensation and rehabilitation, the committee concluded that the Philippines had “breached its obligations under the Convention.”

“In particular, the committee found that the State party had failed to adopt appropriate legislative and other measures to prohibit all discrimination against women and protect women’s rights on an equal basis with men,” the committee explained.

It requested that the Philippines provide the victims full reparation, including material compensation and an official apology for the continuing discrimination.

On Nov. 23, 1944, complainants Natalia Alonzo and 23 other victims were forcibly taken to the Bahay na Pula (Red House), the Japanese headquarters in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

They were detained in the Red House for one day to three weeks, where they were repeatedly subjected to rape, other forms of sexual violence, torture and inhumane detention conditions.

The victims have since then endured long-term physical, psychological, social and economic consequences, including physical injuries, post-traumatic stress, permanent damage to their reproductive capacity and harm to their social relationships in their community, marriage and work.

The victims had consistently raised their claims at the domestic level, requesting that the government espouse their claims and their right to reparations against the Japanese government.

“Their repeated efforts, however, were dismissed by (Philippine) authorities, with their last action turned down by the Supreme Court in 2014,” the committee said.