Behind the Story: The Legacy of Comfort Women

Generations later, the issue of “comfort women” is still being reconciled by the survivors and their families whose lives were shattered during World War II, when the girls and women were taken for days and sometimes years to serve in military brothels throughout Japanese-occupied territories. In the Philippines, where the Japanese Imperial Army sexually enslaved an estimated 1,000 women through abduction, coercion and deception, the fight continues for historical inclusion, a formal apology and restitution even as the Japanese government quietly undermines them. Photographer Cheryl Diaz Meyer recounts a stunning discovery that among the few remaining living comfort women—two sisters are still alive. The images are a testament to the strength of girls and women even under the most horrific circumstances.