Sexual violence a "conspiracy of silence"

United Nations, New York, 24 June 2009 - Womens rights activists, senior military figures and top United Nations officials met in New York this week to discuss what the world body's former humanitarian chief Jan Egeland described as one of the biggest conspiracies of silence in history the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

The talks focused particularly on the lack of female involvement in peace negotiations, and on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1820, passed last year, which for the first time acknowledged the use of sexual violence in conflict as a deliberate tactic of war.

Speakers:
Ms. Anne-Marie Goetz, Chief Advisor, Governance, Peace and Security Section, UNIFEM

Major General Patrick Cammaert, former General Offier of the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Ms. Leymah Gbowee, Executive Director, Women Peace and Security Network, Africa, and founding member of Women in Peacebuilding Program / West African Network for Peacebuilding

Mr. Jan Egeland, Director, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and former Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs

News story:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=31258&Cr=sexual+violence&...

UNIFEM Web site:
http://www.unifem.org/

Watch the entire press conference (Real Media, 43 minutes):
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/pressconference/2009/pc090624am1.rm

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Anne-Marie Goetz
• Leymah Gbowee
• Jan Egeland

[gbalah162]

leymah Gbowee had a great point. Sexual abuse is not often discussed because many people do not want to rock the boat or to make others uncomfortable. women often tend to try to play it down or put it out of their minds, but it doesnt help the situation or others who will more likely suffer the same fate.