Jolie: We can end use of rape as weapon of violence

MANILA, Philippines – “It is a myth that rape is an inevitable part of conflict. There is nothing inevitable about it. It is a weapon of war aimed at civilians. It has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with power.”

Hollywood star and United Nations (UN) special envoy Angelina Jolie appealed to the international community to use their collective power and end the “culture of impunity” that fuels the use of sexual violence in conflict.

Delegations from over 100 countries are in London to attend the 2014 Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The four-day summit features 150 public events that aim to raise awareness about the issue.

Jolie and British Foreign Secretary William Hague opened the conference on Tuesday, June 10.

In her opening speech, Jolie said it is time for countries to stop ignoring a topic that has been considered “taboo for far too long” and has kept rape survivors silent and out of sight.

“War zone rape is a crime that thrives on silence and denial. The stigma harms survivors and it causes feelings of shame and worthlessness,” she said.

The shame, Jolie said, should instead be turned on to the aggressor, a sentiment echoed by Hague.

The British minister said a change in attitude, especially from men, is necessary to support the campaign against sexual violence.

“We want to shift the stigma from survivors to the perpetrators of these crimes. We want to encourage men to speak out and agree that it is only weak men that abuse women,” he added.

The summit aims to bring together governments, activists, experts, and civil society organizations to tackle the complex issues to end sexual violence. 

This includes providing more support for survivors, strengthening laws against perpetrators, training soldiers and peacekeepers to prevent and respond to sexual violence, and committing funds for the protection of women and girls.

Hague said the United Kingdom has decided to pledge a further 6 million pounds to help survivors of sexual violence rebuild their lives.

He added that the summit is an “unprecedented concentration of effort and attention on the issue” to turn the spotlight on the impunity that continues to occur in countries like Syria, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. 

“We know how few of these crimes are punished and because of impunity they continue today in Syria, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic to name a few. What would it say about Britain or any other nation if, knowing all these, we chose not to act?”

“As was said of slavery in the 18th century, now that we know the facts we can’t turn aside,” he said.

Jolie added it is the international community’s responsibility to ensure survivors in the most affected countries receive protection and justice.

“I have met survivors from Afghanistan to Somalia, and they are just like us with one crucial difference: we live in safe countries with doctors we can go to when we’re hurt, police we can go to when we’re wronged and institutions that protect us. They live in refugee camps or bombed out streets in areas with no hope of justice.”

“If they admit to being raped, they are likely to face more violence and social rejection.”

 Hague acknowledged that the summit is only the beginning of what will be a long and difficult campaign to ending rape in war zones once and for all.

“There are some who say that these problems are so vast our efforts will be in vain. But they fail to understand what governments, international organizations, civil society and public opinion can achieve when we all pull in the same direction.”

“There is power in numbers and if we unite behind this cause we can create an unstoppable momentum and consign this vile abuse to history.” – Rappler.com

 

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