An Emerging Transnational Movement in Women’s Human Rights: Campaign of Nongovernmental Organizations on “Comfort Women ” Issue in East Asia Chih-Chieh Chou∗

Abstract. This study examines the efforts and effects of human rights nongovernmental organizations ’ (NGOs) campaigns on “comfort women ” issue in East Asia. By focusing on the dynamic process of interactions between the three main actors involved in the issue: comfort women NGOs; Japanese government; and the United Nations, I first argue that the Japanese government is being forced to change its original discourse of official denial and cover-up policy to approach the demands offered by comfort women’s NGOs. Second, the human rights movement relies on popular awareness and consciousness toward human rights issues in civil societies.Hence, through campaigns and activities,NGOs can play the key role to promote this issue and further form a transnational activism around the region and the international community. Third, a leading NGO can effectively promote international networking and then can press the target government to change its position. Fourth, we need to conduct a process oriented analysis of a specific case within a research framework to establish the exact influence of NGOs on the human rights issues. Finally,comfort women’s NGOs have established a successful model for the transnational advocacy networks in human rights movement and have promoted a new claim for women’s rights in East Asia