The Exploitation of Asian Women in the Japanese Comfort Women System During World War II

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Introduction War is a devastating event in which a country is in a state of aggression and resentment. Although war has its effects on almost every civilian residing in that country, historically people of minority groups and of low social class suffer the most. During the Pacific War, the Japanese Imperial Army was struggling with many cases of rape and the spread of venereal diseases among its armed forces. In order to cope with these ongoing issues, they schemed an idea to invent a comfort women system. The system started off with real Japanese prostitute volunteers, but then turned to tricking and abducing women into the system once volunteers ran out. As the Pacific War continued, Japanese forces began establishing “comfort stations” in many other parts of Asia. When studying the Japanese Comfort Women system of World War II, it is apparent who the people who suffered the most were. The Japanese Armed Forces sought after a certain group(s) of women who were seen as easy drafts into the comfort women system because of the many disadvantages associated with being a woman of a low social class and/or non-Japanese race during the World War II. Women of Low Social Classes In Japanese culture, it was a common ideal to view women as incompetent of being the head of a household (Yoshimi 200). Asian Women were subjected to discriminatory attitudes towards them by men, which left them with almost no opportunity to avoid a life in low social classes. In 19th century Japanese society, an unmarried woman was no doubly associated with low-end occupations that had significantly low wages (Yoshimi 70). The disadvantages associated with being a woman of a low social stature created an unfortunate history of prostitution among Japa... ... middle of paper ... ...Solidarity and Hope: A Case Study of the "Comfort Women" Movement." Harvard human rights journal 22(2009):63-319. Min, Pyong G. "Korean “Comfort Women”: The Intersection of Colonial Power, Gender, and Class." Gender & Society 17.6 (2003): 938-57. Print. Park, Kyeyoung. "JAPAN, U.S. AND WORLD WAR II: THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE: The Unspeakable Experiences of Korean Women under Japanese Rule." Whittier law review 21(2000):567-963 Piper, Nicola. "International Marriage in Japan: 'Race' and 'Gender' Perspectives." Gender, Place & Culture 4.3 (1997): 321-38. Print. Stetz, Margaret D., and Bonnie B. C. Oh. Legacies of the Comfort Women of World War II. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2001. Print. Yoshimi, Yoshiaki, and Suzanne G. O'Brien. Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military during World War II. New York: Columbia UP, 2000. Print

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