This article examines the Japanese military “comfort women” issue through the lens of women’s human rights, extending the discussion to structural violence against women, social exclusion, and economic inequality. It further calls for victim-centered social restructuring and redistribution.
Joohee Kim
How has our understanding of “coercion” in forced labor and the Japanese military “Comfort Women” system changed over time? This essay examines the multilayered nature of these issues, moving beyond nationalist narratives and historical denialism toward a broader understanding through the lens of universal human rights.
Jie-Hyun Lim
Written by Shin Ki-young, Professor at Ochanomizu University, Japan
Shin Ki-young
The World Court of Women has held over 30 sessions since 1992, hearing from survivors of violence, conflict and war from around the world.
Sue Finch
Rada Iveković
Violence, militarism and war are gendered phenomena, and peace activism, to be effective, must likewise be gender analytical and gender aware.
The surge in sexual violence documented by the 2026 UN report, Conflict-related sexual violence: Report of the Secretary-General and the recommendations for advancing universal human rights and peace.
Elli Kim
Women who dare to speak out about sexual violence experience overwhelming anxiety across various aspects of their lives.
Stanislava Staša Zajović
The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on the Trial of Japan's Military Sexual Slavery in 2000 (hereinafter the ‘Women's International War Crimes Tribunal 2000’), which was hosted in Tokyo, Japan from December 8 to 12, 2000, was a people’s tribunal[1] that held the Japanese government – the perpetrating state - and Emperor Hirohito responsible for war crimes. It was viewed as the most appropriate alternative plan devised at a time when it was no longer feasible to hold a legally effective international court with any cooperation from the Japanese government.
Sim A-jeong