ADECIBELvoices Megan Rummler and Stacy Yu

March 8 is International Women's Day, a day that helps nations celebrate the elimination of discrimination against women.







Listen to Cheryl Diaz Meyer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist as she shares intimate details and the inspiration for her recent project with NPR that shines light on the last living "Comfort Women" of the Philippines.







The "Comfort Women" story was supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the Yunghi Kim Grant.







To learn more about Cheryl, her work and future exhibits, visit her website.







View Cheryl's photos and read the NPR article on the last living "Comfort Women" of the Philippines.







































Filipina Comfort Women







Photos by Cheryl Diaz Meyer







All over the Philippines, in grandiose mansions, schools, hospitals -- churches even -- women and girls were systematically raped and tortured in military brothels, some as young as 8 years old, as part of Japan's effort to keep the Japanese Imperial Army soldiers from rebelling during World War II. Assaulted by up to 30 men daily, three quarters of the women did not survive their abuse. Of the estimated 1,000 comfort women in the Philippines, some 40 are still living. Most are physically frail, and some have succumbed to dementia. These portraits and quiet moments capture a story of survivors.















Lola Pilar Galang is one of the last living Comfort Women of the Philippines. On November 23, 1944, Galang and some 100 other girls and women were taken to the Bahay Na Pula, also known as the Red House, and were systematically raped by the Japanese Imperial Army as they retreated from the country at the end of World War II. Galang was 9 years old at the time of the assaults. Photo taken in Pampanga, Philippines, on Sunday, May 19, 2019.















Lolas Remedios Tecson, Estela Adriatico, Narcisa Claver’a, Felicidad delos Reyes and Estelita Dy, left to right, were only teenagers when they were sexually enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Army soldiers in the Philippines during World War II. Some 1,000 women and girls were used as Comfort Women in the Philippines, while in occupied countries throughout Asia there were 200,000. Three quarters of the women did not survive their harrowing abuse. Photo taken on Sunday, April 28, 2019.















Lola Maria Estadio Arroyo, 87, was 12 years old when she was sexually enslaved for three months in Roxas City, Philippines, by the Japanese Imperial Army soldiers during World War II. She eventually married David Arroyo and had seven children with him, but he became abusive in his later years, beating her with wooden planks or his fists, until his passing in 1997. In her old age, Arroyo is frail and cared for by her daughter Lolita Arroyo Acuyong. She suffers from a Herpes infection that has destroyed most of her hearing. Photo taken on Tuesday, May 28, 2019.















"When we arrived to the Red House, I was pushed so hard that I lost consciousness so I don't recall what happened to me...but even today, I feel the pain in my body," said Lola Maria Lalu Quilantang, 83,

Thank goodness for the end of THIS year. Many folks are happy to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021!







We want to end this year by sharing our blooper reel with you—our listeners—so that together we can be smiling as we look forward and are hopeful for good times ahead.







Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.







Megan and Stacy









https://youtu.be/2lZaC_vA-vw

It's been a tough year but we are still grateful for you—our listeners—and our guests and supporters. Listen to how we have fared during the past six months during the pandemic and how we need your support now more than ever to move ahead.







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Listen as this proud comedian and narrator of Netflix's popular "Indian Matchmaking" series shares how he became funny at the age of 9 and how his humor reflects his American-ness—honest, vulnerable, and confident.























Photo Extras







In studio with Rajiv Satyal.

Learn a little bit about Megan and Stacy, co-founders of ADECIBEL Media and the backstory behind their venture.







































Interview Extras



















On Identity



















Fighting the Fight































Reflecting Back on Season 1



















The Outtakes: Getting Ready



















Photo Extras











Megan age 2, with her older brother, Thomas. Camp Pendleton, circa 1970s.











Stacy, age 3, Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD circa 1970s.



















Episode 9. Transcript







Download the PDF for access to the complete transcript of Megan and Stacy's episode.















We want to hear from you! Do you like what you hear? Help us bring you the best content. Please fill out our survey, and let us know what you think. Thank you!

Listen as Dana Tai Soon Burgess, a leading American choreographer, dancer and cultural figure, reveals how growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico incubated his creative force, while serendipity and commitment to his work shaped his flight. Dana is now Smithsonian’s first choreographer-in-residence at the National Portrait Gallery.







See Dana's new mini-documentary.















































Interview Extras



















The Power of Dreams



















The Ritual of Dance































Merging the Physical and Spiritual Worlds



















Reaching Artistic Success































To Future Artists..



















Outtakes: Battle of the "C"s











Photo Extras







Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company performance of "Tracings" at Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery on May 4, 2019.



































































































Episode 8. Transcript







Download the PDF for access to the complete transcript of Dana’s interview here.















We want to hear from you! Do you like what you hear? Help us bring you the best content. Please fill out our survey, and let us know what you think. Thank you!