Testimony
eve ensler writes in the guardian
Eve Ensler writes "They have not been able to even come close..."
Some people may think that being diagnosed with uterine cancer, followed by an extensive surgery that led to a month of debilitating infections, rounded off by months of chemotherapy, might get a girl down. But, in truth, this has not been my poison. This has not been what pulses through me late at night and keeps me pacing and awake. This has not been what throws me into moments of unbearable darkness and depression.
UWAN core speaks with Kate Burns, Senior Policy Officer
Kate Burns, is Senior Policy Officer for Gender Equality in the Policy Development and Studies Branch of OCHA.
Kate started by underlining that sexual violence in conflict was often a weapon of war and that in the seven countries where the UN have a peacekeeping mandate to protect civilians this had to be recognized.
On the appointment of Margot Wallstrom as the Secretary General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Kate explained that the mandate was very focused and should not be widened for example to include domestic violence. Resolution 1888 (2009) called for the SGSR to ‘lead, co-ordinate and advocate efforts to end conflict-related sexual violence against women and children’.
UWAN core speaks with human rights watch's steve crawshaw
HRW documents the raw reality of human rights abuses on the ground ensuring its facts are scrupulously researched and verified. HRW is aware that countries have complex historical and political situations and that some countries will have difficulty reaching human rights norms. However HRW advocates that issues around impunity and accountability should be addressed through the Security Council. Security Council resolutions must be implemented in a practical way. Sexual abuse is much more than a women’s issue and to be addressed effectively it needs to be approached on a number of fronts. The SG’s new Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict will raise its profile, however more women decision-makers and peace keepers need to be engaged. Civil society also needs to be strengthened.
UWAN core speaks with HE ambassador Normandin
On January 28, 2010, UWAN met with HE Ambassador Normandin from the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York.
Ambassador Normandin began by saying the main key area of concern are the questions of what is being done right now , what can be done and what is happening and what is not happening.
“It is more dangerous to be a woman in an area of conflict than a soldier.”
Dr. mukwege speaks on rape in the congo - cnn video
In this interview, Dr Mukwege talks about the atrocities of rape in Congo. He confirmed that rape is used not only as a weapon against civilian women but also as a war strategy aiming to break the civilians dignity, intimidate them and often to force whole villages to be displaced.
Angel of Bukavu
Link - http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2009/09/26/av.mukwege.blk.a.cnn
BRIEFING BY ALAN DOSS, SRSG.
Special Representative to the Secretary General for Democratic Republic of Congo Alan Doss briefed core members of United for Women of All Nations on the status of the ongoing work in the Congo as well as other regions of conflict. Notes from the meeting are available here.
Documents:
Comprehensive Strategy on Combating Sexual Violence in DRC
Executive Summary
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
No Crime more Brutal
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/05/opinion/edmoon.php?page=1
By Ban Ki-moon
Published: March 5, 2009
Seldom have I been as shocked and saddened than by what I saw recently in the eastern Congo. There, I met a young woman - a girl, really, just 18 years old. She told me this story.
Read full article from The International Herald Tribune here.
Ben Afflek writes on the war in Eastern Congo
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1878855,00.html
I've been traveling to Congo since 2007 to learn. TIME has agreed to publish my amateur journalism on the merits of this urgent crisis and on my good luck with photographers. James Nachtwey, the world's finest war photographer, accompanied me on one of my trips, and his extraordinary work fills the following pages.
Read full article from Time here.
ENSLER AND MKWEGE ON NPR
Eve Ensler and Dr Mkwege interviewed on NPR, Saturday 24th January 2009
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99838343
SONGS AND WRITINGS ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Men respond. Read ... a series of stories and writings on violence against women and girls from the perspective of fathers, brothers and sons... (Courtesy of the V-Day site.)
http://newsite.vday.org/meet-vday/v-men