“Absent from ceasefire agreements, not subject to disarmament programmes, and rarely mentioned at the peace-table, mass rape is a war tactic that lingers long after the guns fall silent.”1 The last decade shows alarming figures: 250,000–500,000 women and girls were raped during the genocide in Rwanda, 20,000–50,000 women and girls were raped during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, an average of 40 women and girls are raped every day in South Kivu, Congo2.
To help combat this growing atrocity, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently appointed Margot Wallström as his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. This new position (lobbied for by NGOs and called for in resolution 1888) was created to focus international action and to ensure a more effective prevention of and response to such crimes.
Ms Wallstöm commented: “Violence against women is the most common but least punished crime in the world…In far too many parts of the world women are excluded from the decision-making process and from conflict resolution and peacekeeping. This absolutely has to change and I am determined to play my part in making that change happen.”
A clear understanding of the root causes of rape in conflict is essential, including the myths that fuel this violence and the availability of the weapons that facilitate it. It is hoped that Margot Wallström will find a way to address these issues and that she will help empower women and fight impunity.
IFUW has adopted several resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. What can IFUW do to help advance the work of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict?
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For more information and for action ideas: www.stoprapenow.org (UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict)
According to some estimates, up to 70 per cent of women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The United Nations General Assembly, which designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, has invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem.

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