Throughout the world, and despite international condemnation, conflict-related sexual violence is used widely as a tactic of war and terrorism.
Indeed, there is “ample evidence to back up a harsh, harsh reality: that sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon of war,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the UN.
“Women’s bodies are being used as a weapon of war. Used to terrorize, to destabilize, and to break communities down. It is used to silence people, to make them think that they are alone, that their lives are not worth living,” she said.
“We owe it to the courageous survivors who have come forward, to the victims who have been silenced by fear and by shame, and to those who have been killed before they could even tell their stories, to take on this epidemic of sexual violence,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. “There are three core tasks before the international community. The first is holding perpetrators accountable … and I’m proud that the United States has taken action to that end.”
“We’re naming and calling out as Specially Designated Global Terrorists ISIS leaders who have committed sexual violence against Yezidi women and girls, sanctioning Haitian gang leaders for human rights abuses, including sexual violence, and nominating perpetrators of sexual violence to the UN DRC Sanctions committee,” she said. “Doing so deters others from enacting this kind of violence. It strengthens the rule of law. It makes reconciliation more likely – in other words: it is, for so many reasons, the right thing to do.”
“Second is defending and empowering survivors through a survivor-centered approach. That means listening to survivors, responding to their unique needs, and providing the medical care, psycho-social support, and legal resources that they need,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.
“Finally, we must recognize that gender-based violence is fundamentally rooted in gender inequality. If we want to tackle the problem of sexual violence, we need to understand the underlying societal norms and systemic inequities that when combined with weak or absent state institutions lead to that violence,” she said.
“In the long-term … the best defense is an equitable, just society, where the human rights of all are respected, where women and girls can access educational opportunities, and where everyone can enjoy equal justice under the law,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. “For the millions and millions of women whose stories aren’t being told … let us hold perpetrators accountable. And let us really center survivors in our work.”
