The exploitation of woman as sexual slaves during the Japanese occupation was a series of planned and organized system. During the Greater East Asia war, Japan realized the basic need for soldiers. It was possible at that time to use indigenous women as ‘comfort women’. This was stated by Katherine McGregor in a public lecture held by the Department of History FIB UGM, on Tuesday (25/4), in the Multimedia Room, Margono building lt. 2, FIB UGM.
On that occasion Katherine gave a public lecture with the topic “Piecing Together the Threads of the So-called ‘Comfort Women’ System During the Japanese Occupation of Indonesia”. Katherine, a woman who also a professor at Melbourne University, explained in detail about sexual slavery system during Japanese occupation. “So, what happened to the sexual slavery during Japanese Occupation was something that was planned”, said Katherine.
Furthermore, Katherine explained that Japan imposed a selection on these women. Each woman is then classified based on beauty. They were forced to serve the soldiers. “Woman for officers and soldiers, it’s different”
The majority of women who were made sexual slaves or called Karayukisan were forcibly taken from their family in villages. During the Japanese occupation, the first step was to stratify society. Europeans were then sent to internment camps, including European women. Meanwhile for the indigenous people their fate is not much better. The women were made sexual slaves (karayukisan). Some also experienced violence in the form of rape – because they were forced to do so.
In looking at the system of work during Japanese occupation, Katherine traced documents and records from Japanese soldiers which were left from the Greater East Asia War. Besides that, Katharine also used remaining memory from the survivors. “I asked about the memories of Indonesia during the Japanese occupation, and especially the testimonies of female victims, most of whom were still alive, forty years after the war, revealing the context of the occupation and how and why women were tricked and then forced to work in the system of sexual slavery,” as Katherine said.
On the other hand, Katherine also used various media, including movies, to understand the reality of that period. One of them is a documentary film made by Kana Tamoko, in 2011, entitled Mardiyem. Even so, there are also differences between women who used to be a sexual worker (Karayukisan)-including jugun Ianfu- and female entertainer (geisha). the word geisha refers to women who have skills on arts- dance or singing. they were art workers who have a legal licence, and those were their main job. “Although in some cases there are also geisha who become sex workers, but again it’s not their main job,” explained Katherine.