Violence against women is an intrinsic aspect of the culture of war. As stated by Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, women are not just victims of war – they must play an essential part in building peace. Here are a few excerpts from an article she published in the New York Times and which is now available on the website of The Elders.
“In war zones, rape is a weapon. We cannot claim to be serious about stopping war crimes if we do nothing to prevent and punish these heinous acts – and if women are not part of the solution every step of the way. . . . women – and men, too – are at risk of sexual abuse wherever gunfire rattles and militias roam. Like other forms of violence, sexual violence shatters people, families, and livelihoods. It leaves behind a legacy of trauma, making it more likely that the next generation will continue fighting, killing, and allow sexual violence to fester.
A history of modern warfare reveals sexual abuse at almost every turn: according to the United Nations, up to 250,000 Rwandan women were sexually assaulted in three months of genocide in 1994. In Yugoslavia, 60,000 women were abused between 1992 and 1995. Sierra Leone and Liberia jointly witnessed up to a hundred thousand cases over the course of a decade in the 1990s. . . .
Mindsets are evolving. The United Nations Security Council has passed several resolutions recognising the need to include women in peace processes. We need to push the agenda further at every opportunity. . .
The greater aspiration is that societies in conflict will know that war crimes will not go unpunished and that transitional justice can be made available to deal with these abuses swiftly. The stigma will shift from the victims to the criminals. If rape is no longer deemed a warrior’s accepted privilege, we will be one step closer to peace.”
CPNN has carried many articles on progress being made to stop violence against women, especially related to the culture of war. Articles since 2015 are listed here.
South Africa’s G20 Women’s Shutdown – a turning point for ending gender-based violence and femicide
Violence Against Women: West Africa at a Time of Decisive Choices
Search for Common Ground supports midwife care in Afghanistan
Rwanda: Positive masculinity as a weapon of peace
A global analysis of violence against women defenders in environmental conflicts
Mexico: Tlaxcala has first place in the list of Women Builders of Peace
Hidalgo, Mexico: Networks of Women Peace-Builders created in Apan, Tula and Pachuca
Bolivia Enacts Law on Femicide, Infanticide & Rape
Mexico: The Alamo City Council promotes a culture of peace among women
Thousands demonstrate in France to stop violence against women
United Nations : UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women
Black-clad women rally in Australia to demand gender violence justice
Over a Million Mobilize for International Women’s Day in Latin America
In Malawi, Chief Theresa Kachindamoto Fights against Child Marriage
Dominican Republic: Government takes action to eliminate violence against women and girls
PAYNCoP Gabon Works with UNESCO to Combat Covid19 Fake News and Violence Against Women
A day without us’: What was the National Women’s Strike in Mexico and why did it take place?
The world went orange: Putting a spotlight on ending violence against women
Honouring the Me Too Movement with the 2019 Sydney Peace Prize
Nicaragua: Peace Commissions contribute to the prevention of violence against women
Dominican Republic: Youth and the United Nations promote a culture of peace
Bolivia: #NiUnaMenos demands prevention to stop violence against women
Argentina: Thousands of women march to the Plaza de Mayo to demand justice for Lucía Pérez
Israeli woman hold mass rallies to protest rising violence against women
Google’s ‘#metoo’ moment: Workers walk out over women’s rights
The Nobel Prize for Peace 2018
Morocco and Senegal promote gender equality through media
Mexico: Tlalnepantla Continues Work to Eradicate Gender Violence
Education unions join in the global call to end school-related gender-based violence
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women marked around the world
Latin America: What are other countries doing to combat femicide?
Dominican Republic, San Francisco de Macorís: Men’s march to combat violence against women
Ecuador: International Conference on Gender Violence
USA: The ‘Me Too’ Campaign Was Created By A Black Woman 10 Years Ago
Making Waves: Local radio transforming perceptions of gender-based violence in Africa
Creating a new normal, students across Bangladesh say no more sexual harassment
Brazil: Government of Espirito Santo launches movement to stop violence against women
Feminist icons join bid to upend Congo’s rape capital reputation
Mexico: Authorities agree on actions to prevent violence against women
Gravatá, Pernambuco, Brazil: Combating violence against women now in the classroom
Eliminating sexual violence in conflict through the International Criminal Court
Mozambique: Taking steps on the long road to ending violence against women
UN Women: 16 days of activism against gender violence
Mexico: Need to promote a culture of peace, to end violence against women: CEAMEG
Enough is enough: Oxfam seeks to end violence against women and girls once and for all
Guatemala: 28 years of struggle for the life, dignity and rights of women survivors of genocide
India: Buddhist nuns bike Himalayas to oppose human trafficking
Hundreds of Thousands Join Saudi Women-Led Campaign to End Male Guardianship in the Kingdom
Peru: #NiUnaMenos: 50,000 protest violence against women in Lima
Amnesty International: 10 ways we’ve defended women’s rights in the past year
PORTRAIT: Dr. Denis Mukwege, the man who repairs women in eastern DRC
Battered women support services commemorates Prevention of Violence Against Women Week
– – – – Links for the following articles published prior to 2015 do not work because they were made by a version of PERL programming that is no longer supported. With three easy steps, you can find the article by its number. First, click on it before returning to this page. Your browser will say that the article is not available but in the address listed you can see that it was located at ViewArticle=xxxx where xxxx is the number of the article. Returning to this page, then click here for the listing of all years. Then click on the year that contains the number for the article you seek. It will send you to the page where you can easily search for the article by its title. – – – –
Ending Violence against Women: Has Your Government made progress?
A Life Free of Violence Is Our Right!
Challenges to Civil Liberties in Connecticut
Celebramos la reunificación de niña migrante salvadoreña con su abuela en la Ciudad de Chihuahua.
Celebrating the reunion of a Salvadoran migrant girl with her grandmother in the City of Chihuahua
Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo reciben el premio Houphouët-Boigny de fomento de la Paz
Plaza de Mayo Grandmothers received Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize at UNESCO Headquarters
Les Grand-meres de la Place de mai ont recu le Prix Felix Houghouet-Boigny a l’UNESCO
16 Jours d’activisme contre la violence basée sur le genre
16 Días de activismo contra la violencia de género
16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence
La mujeres de hoy
The women of today
Women and Men Fight Domestic Violence Together
The Day of the Girl Has Come
Join us for 16 Days of Activism to End Gender Violence!
ICC Prosecutor Hails Shift in Fight Against Sexual Violence
Inició el Seminario Internacional por una Cultura de Paz: Cómo Suprimir la Violencia Contra las Mujeres
International Seminar for a Culture of Peace: How to Stop Violence against Women [Mexico]
Tunisie: Inauguration du premier centre pilote d’accueil des femmes victimes de la violence
Tunisia: Inauguration of first shelter for women victims of violence
SEPM promove campanha educativa “Blitz da Paz” nesta quinta-feira (Brasil)
SEPM promotes educational campaign “Peace Blitz” this Thursday (Brazil)
One Billion Rising: Playwright Eve Ensler Organizes Global Day of Dance Against Sexual Abuse
When Peacemakers Become Perpetrators: Kathryn Bolkovac Introduces The Whistleblower at the UN
The Advocates for Human Rights Call for Submissions
Firman acuerdo por una cultura de paz en Sinaloa (México)
Agreement signed for a culture of peace in Sinaloa, Mexico
UN Women welcomes Agreed Conclusions at the Commission on Status of Women
Violence à l’encontre des femmes: un problème mondial de santé publique d’ampleur épidémique
Informe de la OMS destaca que la violencia contra la mujer es un problema de salud global de proporciones epidémicas
WHO report highlights violence against women as a global health problem of epidemic proportions
Change the date: combatiendo la violencia sobre las adolescentes
Change the date: fighting violence against young women
Female Circumcision Declining in Africa, but 30 Million Girls Still at Risk
Saudi Arabia passes historic domestic abuse legislation
Fighting the stigma facing Afghanistan’s women police
Voices against Violence
States Should Use ICC System to Eliminate Grave Crimes against Women
Global Campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
Afghanistan: President Karzai blocks law protecting perpetrators of domestic violence
Take action to Orange your day: End violence against women
Europe Treaty on Violence Against Women to Take Effect
Entra en vigor tratado europeo sobre violencia contra la mujer
Le traité européen sur la violence à l’égard des femmes va bientôt entrer en vigueur
World leaders face pressure to act against sexual violence at UK summit
Women’s Rights Groups Demand that US Stop Negotiating TPP with Brunei Until the Sultan Revokes New Taliban-Like Laws
In India’s garment factories, stitching clothes and a culture of non-violence
Egalité Maintenant pleure la mort de notre amie et collègue, Efua Dorkenoo
Igualdad Ya llora la muerte de Efua Dorkenoo, amiga y compañera
Remembering our friend and colleague, Efua Dorkenoo