More than 650 international activists and experts opposing wartime violence against women gathered in Tokyo on Monday to urge women to actively change societies that instigate discrimination and violence against them.
At the conclusion of the four-day International Conference on Violence against Women in War and Armed Conflict Situations, 41 representatives from 20 countries shared views and opinions gathered from their experiences with the subject. "We hope that this meeting will serve as an opportunity to heal the women around the world who suffered sexual violence and form a global network of women committed to preventing any further violence against them," said Yayori Matsui, a representative of the Japanese committee, which organized the conference.
After explaining the controversial situation with "comfort women," who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II, South Korean and Taiwanese panelists criticized the Japanese government for attempting to evade its legal responsibility with offers of consolation money issued through the Asian Women's Fund.
Representatives from other parts of the world, including former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Bangladesh and East Timor, talked about the mass rapes and violence women have been subjected to in recent regional conflicts. After discussing specific cases and issues from different parts of the world, the participants agreed that victims of violence need more support, and that a permanent international court of justice should be established.
"We see the significance of this conference, as we were able to come together with very specific issues of violence against women in wars," said Indai Lourdes Sajor of the Asian Center for Women's Human Rights, headquartered in Manila.