Women for Women International unequivocally condemns the use of rape as a weapon of war and all forms of violence against women, no matter what side of any conflict.
With the approach of #16DaysofActivism, a global UN campaign to #EndVAW, we want to underscore the trauma of survivors and generational trauma caused by conflict-related sexual violence. In the last few months alone, there have been sickening accounts of women subjected to rape in Israel, Sudan and Ethiopia; of Palestinian women detained in the West Bank reporting sexual assaults and fears for women displaced in Gaza or the DRC, who are now at heightened risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking.
In our decades of work supporting survivors of sexual violence, we’ve seen the consequence of this dehumanizing weapon of war that targets women and destroys communities.
Our shared humanity compels us to acknowledge the suffering caused by this insidious crime. Only then can we take the first step toward preventing and responding to violence and seeking justice.