Exhibition on Wartime Comfort Women Held in the Philippines, Spotlighting Japanese Military Sexual Violence

A special exhibition shedding light on the tragedy of wartime sexual violence through vivid records of Filipino women mobilized as "comfort women" by the Japanese military during World War II has opened in Manila, the Philippines.

According to Kyodo News on October 2, the exhibition is running until October 14 at the museum inside Manila City Hall.

The organizers prepared the event to educate future generations about the tragedy of sexual violence brought on by war.

The exhibition was organized by Lila Pilipina, an advocacy group for Filipino comfort women victims, and sponsored by the Manila Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts.

During the opening ceremony, a message from Manila Vice Mayor Atienza was delivered, expressing hope that "this exhibition will contribute to the respect of human dignity and human rights."

On display at the venue are some 50 pieces, including photos of deceased victims taken during their lifetimes and artwork exposing the realities of their suffering.

In particular, eight illustrations drawn directly by a victim who suffered sexual violence by the Japanese military as a teenager to depict the atrocities at the time were also unveiled.

The drawings detail scenes of multiple women being led away by armed Japanese soldiers or subjected to harsh treatment outdoors.

Along with these, paintings created by contemporary artists featuring Filipino comfort women victims were also exhibited with the aim of passing down history to future generations.

(Photo: Kyodo, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.