The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation yesterday released a picture book on the subject of “comfort women” and said its affiliated Ama Museum is expected to reopen to the public at a new location in June.
The book, whose title is phonetically translated as Lu Wei Hua Kai (“Reed Flowers Bloom,” 蘆葦花開), is the first picture book in Taiwan to feature a “comfort woman” as its protagonist, the foundation said.
It tells the story of women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese imperial military, and the sexual violence they suffered during the Japanese colonial period, as well as during and after World War II, it said.
Photo: CNA
The book can also be used to promote contemporary issues, such as gender rights and the prevention of sexual violence, as well as to address the culture of victim-blaming in society, it said.
Through the book, which is designed for children over the age of 10, young readers can hopefully understand the cruelty of war, and the unfair and unjust treatment that “comfort women” experienced, author Hung Chia-ju (洪佳如) said.
The publication of the book is another important step toward facilitating an understanding of “comfort women” by greater audiences, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) said at the book release at the museum’s new space on Chengde Road (承德路) in Taipei’s Datong District (大同).
“‘Comfort women’ is not just a term in a history textbook,” she said, calling on people to recognize the harm that was done.
The foundation looks forward to bringing the issue of “comfort women” to the attention of more age groups and communities through different approaches, it said.
It hopes that understanding of the history of “comfort women” will inspire people to reflect on war, gender-based violence, victim-blaming and human rights, it added.
Citing financial difficulties, the foundation closed the Ama Museum’s original location on Dihua Street (迪化街) in November last year.
The museum, which first opened its doors to the public in December 2016, is dedicated to preserving the history of the nation’s “comfort women.”
The new site would be ready for the public by June 25 to 28, the foundation said.
The museum’s expenses this year are estimated to reach about NT$5.84 million (US$204,539), it said.
Despite a subsidy of NT$1.3 million from the government and NT$573,810 in funds raised from the crowdfunding platform Zeczec, it still needs about NT$3.96 million to cover the costs, it said, urging people to support the museum.
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