The Philippines violated the rights of women victims of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during the Second World War, the United Nations women’s rights committee said in a report on Wednesday, March 9.
According to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Philippines was found to have breached its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women after examining the complaint of 24 Filipina members of a non-profit organization called Malaya Lolas (“Free Grandmothers”).
“These victims, commonly known as 'comfort women,' had repeatedly raised their demands in the Philippines, asking their Government to support their claims against Japan for reparations for their suffering from the sexual slavery system during World War II,” the report said.
CEDAW said the country failed to redress the continuous discrimination and suffering these women have endured.
“This is a symbolic moment of victory for these victims who were previously silenced, ignored, written off, and erased from history in the Philippines,” said Committee member Marion Bethel.
“The Committee’s views pave the way for restoring their dignity, integrity, reputation and honor,” she added.
CEDAW had cited the case complainants, Natalia Alonzo and 23 other victims, who were forcibly taken to Bahay na Pula (Red House), the Japanese headquarters in San Ildefonso, Pampanga, on November 23, 1944.
“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 report said.
It added that these women had 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 complainants had consistently raised their claims at the domestic level, requesting that the Philippine government espouse their claims and their right to reparations against the Japanese.
“Their repeated efforts, however, were dismissed by the authorities, with their last action turned down by the Supreme Court in 2014. The Philippines government has always maintained that it is not in a position to claim compensation from Japan after ratifying the Treaty of Peace with Japan in 1956,” the committee said.
In 2019, the victims brought their case to the committee, “seeking to establish the responsibility of the State party to fulfill its commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in supporting the non-discrimination of women and girls on its territory.”
“The Committee also noted that the Philippines had waived its right to compensation by signing the Treaty of Peace with Japan. It, however, underlined that it is a case of continuous discrimination,” CEDAW said.
It added that the Philippine Commission on Women had also not addressed the institutionalized system of wartime sexual slavery, its consequences for victims and survivors, or their protection needs.
Meanwhile, Philippine war veterans, who are mostly men, are entitled to “special and esteemed treatment” from the government, including educational benefits, health-care benefits, old age, disability, and death pensions.
It was noted that there are no appropriate legislation and other measures that would "prohibit all discrimination against women and protect women's rights on an equal basis with men."
“Given 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,” the group said.
“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,” they added.
The committee urged the Philippine government to provide the victims a full reparation, including material compensation and an official apology for the continuing discrimination.