The Gabriela Women’s party-list has sought the inclusion of the lives and heroism of Filipino comfort women in the elementary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.
In filing House Bill 8564, the group’s nominee in Congress, Rep. Arlene Brosas said: “By acknowledging the sacrifices and struggles of Filipino comfort women, we are giving voice and recognition to their courage and resilience. It is crucial that we educate the younger generations about the brutalities and sexual slavery endured by these women during World War II, as their stories have been cast aside for far too long.”
Brosas said the bill was in line with the recent recommendation of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming the history of Filipina victims/survivors of wartime sexual slavery in educational curricula.
“This serves as a critical remembrance of the history of human rights violations endured by these women and helps to advance human rights and prevent recurrence. To date, the Marcos Jr. administration has not laid out any concrete program to abide by the CEDAW recommendations,” she said.
The Gabriela believes that the inclusion of the experiences of Filipino comfort women will contribute to a more sensitive understanding of the atrocities committed during the Japanese occupation, Brosas said.
“It is time to give recognition to the heroic participation ofFilipino comfort women in the war of resistance against the Japanese.Their stories deserve to be told and remembered, not erased from ourPhilippine history books,” Brosas added.
She said the group steadfast in its advocacy for justice andreparations for all comfort women.
“We call on our fellow lawmakers to support this bill and stand with us in fighting against the resounding historical silence surrounding the experiences of Filipino comfort women. It is our duty to honor their heroism and ensure that their stories are included in our educational curricula,” she said.