International Women's Day 2007
Interagency panel: UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict
- When: Thursday 8 March 2007
- Place: Palais des Nations, Room XI
- Time: 12h30-14h
- Opening remarks: Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General, Health Action in Crises, WHO.
- Panelists:
- Wilma Doedens, Technical Specialist, Humanitarian Response Unit, UNFPA.
- Belinda Holdsworth, Protection Officer and Manager, Protection Capacity Support Unit, Displacement and Protection Support Section, OCHA.
- Ben Majekodunmi, Human Rights Officer, Rule of Law Unit, OHCHR.
- Yvette Stevens:, Independent Consultant, Humanitarian and Development Issues and Former UN Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator.
- Gry Tina Tinde:, Special Adviser to the High Commissioner on Gender Issues, UNHCR.
- Moderator: Jan Powell, Freelance journalist.
To honour International Women's Day (IWD) 2007, the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict new joint initiative will be announced in an interagency event in Geneva. The main goal of the initiative is to improve UN system actions on sexual violence in conflict.
In armed conflict today sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war. It serves as a combat tool to destroy individual lives, tear apart families and devastate communities. Too often perpetrators enjoy near complete impunity.
During the event, discussions on achievements and gaps in the United Nations response to sexual violence in conflict will take place. The event will increase awareness of and re-affirm the UN system's commitment to the issue.
The Steering Group for UN Action consists of principals from DPKO (UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations), OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), OHCHR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIFEM and WHO.
MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT
Between 50,000 and 64,000 internally displaced women in Sierra Leone reported experiencing sexual violence at the hands of armed combatants.
Between 20,000 and 50,000 women were raped during the war in Bosnia & Herzegovina in the early 1990s.
Between 250,000 to 500,000 women survived rape during the genocide in Rwanda.
For more information, please contact WHO, Chen Reis, reisc@who.int
Telephone number +41 (0) 22 7914696