Sexual Violence: A weapon of war

The UN organized a conference this week on “Gender Justice in Post-Conflict Situations,” where women from around the world gathered to talk about the growing problem of sexual violence used in warfare.
…from systematic rape to intentional transmission of the AIDS virus has become a standard weapon of modern warfare, used in conflicts from Sudan, Iraq and Rwanda to Russia…
“The nature of conflict has changed, and the battlefields are now women’s bodies,” said Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
While the use of sexual violence against women as a war tactic isn’t exactly news, women need to make sure it is at the front of our minds—and our activism.
Some places to get started:
UNIFEM
UNIFEM special Web portal on ”Women, Peace & Security”
Rape as a War Crime Website (International Centre for Migration Policy Development, ICMPD)
International Alert: Women Building Peace Campaign