CSW70 Civil Society Panel Addresses Historical Memory of “Comfort Women”
By CSNN New York Bureau
Reporting presence: Anthony Nickson, Editor-in-Chief CSNN – United States
“Memory of World International Register and World Peace”
Theme: Remembering History, Upholding Justice – The Eternal Memory of “Comfort Women”
- CSW70 NGO Meeting
- Historical memory and justice
- War-time sexual slavery
- Archival testimony and advocacy
During the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, a civil society panel in New York examined the historical legacy of the so-called “comfort women” system and ongoing efforts to preserve survivor testimony, uphold historical memory and advance international awareness of wartime violence against women.
The event was organized by the China War of Resistance Against Historical Truth Preservation Society, with partnership support from Hehe Zongheng (Beijing) International Culture Co., Ltd. and logistical support provided by The Light Millennium, Inc. The meeting was held in person and gathered a limited group of participants during the wider CSW70 programme in New York.
The discussion focused on the historical documentation of the Japanese military comfort station system across Asia, the continuing debate over recognition and accountability, and the role of international institutions in preserving the voices of victims and survivors. Speakers emphasized that the issue remains relevant not only as a matter of historical record, but also as a contemporary question of women’s rights, human dignity and institutional memory.
A significant part of the event was devoted to testimony preservation. Speakers presented work undertaken with the Comfort Women Justice Coalition and partner institutions to document and preserve the lived experiences of survivors through advanced interactive oral history methods. Particular attention was given to the use of Dimensions in Testimony, a technology developed by the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation to preserve authentic testimony in an interactive format.
The system allows visitors, researchers and future learners to engage with recorded testimonies by asking questions, after which the platform retrieves relevant responses from a large archive of filmed material. Organizers stressed that the underlying recordings remain authentic and unmanipulated, with artificial intelligence used only to match questions to previously recorded answers.
- Comfort Women Justice Coalition
- University of Southern California Shoah Foundation
- Nanjing Museum of the Site of the Lijixiang Comfort Station
- Private donors and civil society supporters
One of the central testimonies presented during the briefing was that of survivor Peng Zhuying. According to the project presentation, her life story includes wartime trauma associated with military attacks on her hometown, the death and illness of family members, and her later abduction as a teenager by Japanese soldiers, after which she was forced into sexual slavery within the military comfort station system.
Despite being more than 90 years old at the time of filming, she reportedly participated in a demanding week-long recording process, sitting for hours each day in front of the camera. The production generated more than 800 video recordings based on over 500 interview questions, covering her life before the war, during the war and in the post-war period. Organizers described her participation as an act of exceptional courage and historical importance.
The panel also addressed the scale of the wider system. Speakers noted that maps and archives often document only formally recognized comfort stations, while many improvised and insufficiently documented sites across battle zones remain less visible in public understanding. As a result, participants argued that the true scale of the crime may be broader than what is currently reflected in known archival records.
Speakers further warned that denialist narratives continue to challenge historical truth. In response, the project was presented as both a memorial and educational intervention aimed particularly at younger generations, using technology to ensure that survivor testimony remains accessible even after living witnesses are no longer able to speak publicly.
Beyond documentation, the panel introduced a proposed international advocacy track. Organizers announced plans to prepare a formal proposal under the theme “Remembering history, upholding justice, and never forgetting the suffering of comfort women”, to be co-signed by participants and expanded through a global online signature campaign.
- Launch of a global online and offline signature campaign
- Submission of a proposal to CSW, the UN Human Rights Council, UNESCO and CEDAW
- Advocacy for broader UN review of the comfort women issue within human rights frameworks
- Application for inclusion in the UNESCO Memory of the World registers
According to the organizers, the proposal is intended for submission to several international bodies, including the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNESCO and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Organizers also stated that the initiative seeks to promote broader institutional review of the issue and renewed international attention to its human rights implications.
Another major objective of the event concerns the recognition of archival materials related to the comfort women system within the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register and the Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Register. The initiative frames these documents not only as records of wartime suffering, but as part of the global documentary heritage connected to violence against women, historical justice and collective memory.
The event was attended by Anthony Nickson, Editor-in-Chief CSNN – United States, who coordinates the work of the CSNN New York Bureau and supports the strengthening of the network’s presence in New York within the international civil society and diplomatic environment.
CSNN monitored the event as part of its broader coverage of civil society engagement during CSW70 in New York, with attention to institutional dialogue, memory-based advocacy and international human rights discourse.
References
Event information and programme details provided by the organizer: China War of Resistance Against Historical Truth Preservation Society.
Panel presentations and transcribed remarks from the CSW70 NGO meeting held on 14 March 2026 in New York.
Project descriptions referenced during the meeting concerning testimony preservation, Dimensions in Testimony and related archival initiatives.
Short video brief published by Civil Society News Network during CSW70 coverage in New York.
