The civil group Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation (TWRF) held a press conference on Wednesday, commemorating the International Memorial Day for “Comfort Women”. The group released the result of a survey highlighting the negligence of women’s suffering in wars. They demand the inclusion of “comfort women” into national archives as well as the history textbooks, and the establishment of a national women’s human rights museum.

At the conference, TWRF CEO Tu Ying-chiu (杜瑛秋) introduced the result of an online survey conducted from July 23 to August 12, in which war is the biggest factor in causing psychological damages, accounting for 47%, followed by concerns about personal safety, livelihood and financial stability. Notably, few respondents mentioned the violence against women in war.

Tu Ying-chiu emphasized that women’s suffering in war should not be overlooked, and society must do more to prevent such tragedy. This is especially relevant when brutal conflicts like Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine are still ongoing, reminding people of the severe impact on women who face not just physical harm but also sexual violence and abuse.

Taiwan’s last surviving “comfort woman” passed away in 2023, nearly 80 years after the end of World War II. All the victims of the sexual abuse scheme in the war did not receive judicial justice nor an apology during their lifetime. Over the years when talking to Taiwanese students, Tu Ying-chiu found out the issue is still missing in the history textbooks.

The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation called on the government to incorporate “comfort women” into the curriculum, alongside with 228 human rights victims. The group also said the establishment of a national museum on “comfort women” will help promote human rights education and awareness of women’s suffering from sexual violence in war.