María Rosa Luna Henson
The Philippines, (1927-1997)
Rosa Henson, also known as "Lola Rosa," was a Filipino “comfort woman” during World War II. “Lolas,” the Tagalog word for grandmother, refers to the aging Filipino “comfort women” including the more than 1,000 Filipino women who were faced with sexual violence from the Japanese during the occupation of the Philippines from 1941 to 1945.
At the age of 15 in 1942, Lola Rosa was raped twice before being arrested and taken to a garrison where she was forced to serve as a “comfort woman” for nine months. Years later at a press conference in 1992, Lola Rosa spoke out about her experiences, being the first Filipino woman to do so. Furthermore, she wrote a book titled Comfort Woman: Slave of Destiny detailing the silent and invisible existence of Filipino comfort women.
Her bravery in coming forward inspired over 50 other Filipino women to share their stories for the first time, and the victims, including those from Korea and China, filed a class action lawsuit against the Japanese government in 1993. The suit demanded a formal apology from the Japanese government in the form of including all the war-time atrocities committed by the Japanese into Japan's school history books, as well as monetary reparations.
Lila Pilipina office’s memorial hall for Lolas.
Legacy
Lola Rosa's courageous actions were instrumental in sparking the comfort women movement, particularly in the Philippines. Her legacy of inciting others to speak up continues to raise awareness about the suffering of comfort women during WWII and the ongoing fight for justice and reparations.