Confucianism and China’s Victims of SGBV

“My youth, my virginity, and my dignity were all buried at this comfort station"

Abstract

The term ‘comfort women’ refers to young Asian females who were forced into prostitution by the Imperial Japanese Army between 1932 and 1945, resulting in gross human rights violations. The paper will explore how pre-existing gender relations and sociocultural dynamics contributed to this violence and will analyse the factors that allowed it to persist. As a conceptual framework, Confucianism, an ancient Chinese belief system that emphasises differentiation of women and men, is used to argue for the facilitation and legitimization of sexual and gender-based violence against Chinese women. Based on arguments of gender hierarchy, the sexual desire of Japanese soldiers, and ethnic victimization, victims faced social ostracization and discrimination.

Keywords: Comfort Women, Confucianism, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), Gender Inequality