Maria Rosa Henson

First Filipina to publicly testify as WWII 'comfort woman', sparking international justice movements

Maria Rosa Henson (1927-1996) transformed from victim to human rights icon through her memoir Comfort Woman: A Slave of Destiny (1992). As the first Asian woman to publicly identify as a WWII military sex slave, she forced global reckoning with Japan's wartime atrocities.

Abducted at 15 and imprisoned at Lawa concentration camp, Henson survived daily rape by Japanese officers. Her 1992 testimony sparked international protests, leading to the 1993 UN Human Rights Commission investigation. This directly influenced the Kono Statement where Japan acknowledged institutional responsibility.

Henson's activism extended beyond personal catharsis. She co-founded Lila Pilipina, an organization supporting survivors. Her legal battles established precedents for wartime sexual violence reparations, cited in ICC Rome Statute negotiations regarding crimes against humanity.