Past
Learn about the herstory of "comfort women"
Kim Hak-Soon
South Korea, (1924–1997)
Kim Hak-Soon was the first woman to come forward publicly about her experience as a comfort woman for the Japanese military in the 1930s. Her her testimony was made in 1991.
Kang Duk-Kyung
South Korea, (1929–1997)
Kang Duk-Kyung was a human rights activist and former Korean "comfort woman" in World War II. In particular, Kang expressed her life as a comfort woman through paintings.
Jan Ruff O'Herne
Dutch East Indies, (1923–2019)
During World War II, Jeanne Alida "Jan" Ruff-O'Herne was forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army. After remaining silent for fifty years, she spoke out publicly in 1992.
María Rosa Luna Henson
The Philippines, (1927-1997)
Rosa Henson, also known as "Lola Rosa," was a Filipino “comfort woman” during World War II. “Lolas,” the Tagalog word for grandmother, refers to the aging Filipino “comfort women.”
Kim Bok-Dong
South Korea, (1926–2019)
Kim Bok-dong was a dedicated human rights activist fighting against war-time sexual slavery and former "comfort woman." She helped establish The Butterfly Fund in 2012.