comfort women

an English translation of the Japanese euphemism ianfu, the term "comfort women" "refers to the tens of thousands of young women and girls of various ethnic and national backgrounds who were pressed into sexual servitude during the Asia Pacific War that began with the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and ended with Japan's defeat in 1945. Estimates of the total number of Japan's comfort women range between 50,000 and 200,000" (C. Sarah Soh, The Comfort Women). "The so-called 'comfort women' were, in actuality, women kidnapped and drafted into military sexual slavery by the Japanese government for the use of their troops during World War II" (Polly Mann, Women Against Military Madness newletter.). In fact, the sexual enslavement continued after the Japanese surrender; "Under the Recreation and Amusement Association, operating with government funds and tacit approval from U.S. occupation authorities, Japan established comfort-women brothels for American troops. Until the spring of 1946, when General Douglas MacArthur closed the network, tens of thousands of women were forced to service GIs—15 to 60 a day per woman" (Ms.). When referring to "comfort women," use quotation marks to indicate the dubiousness of the term and make clear the reality of their situation: they were sex slaves. See also trafficking (sex).