Women, Peace, and Security: Publications

Final Report of the Fact-Finding Missions of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office Into the Mass Rapes and Other Human Rights Violations Committed by a Coalition of Armed Groups Along the Kibua-Mpofi Axis in Walikale Territory, North Kivu, from 30 July to 2 August 2010 (United Nations Joint Human Rights Office) (2011)

The Silencing Crime: Sexual Violence and Journalists (The Committee to Protect Journalists) (2011) http://cpj.org/reports/CPJ.Sexual.Assault.Journalists.pdf

Progress of the World's Women (UN Women) (2011) http://progress.unwomen.org/

Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009) (UN) (2010) http://www.stoprapenow.org/uploads/advocacyresources/1292325035.pdf

Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence - An Analytical Inventory of Peacekeeping Practice (UN) (2010) http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/VVOS-86WP6G?OpenDocument

Protecting Civilians in the Context of UN Peacekeeping Operations (Successes, Setbacks and Remaining Challenges) (DPKO/OCHA) (2009) http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7XVSZJ?OpenDocument

Democratic Republic of Congo: Demand Justice for Rape Survivors (Amnesty International) (2010) http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR62/012/2010/en

Implementing Resolution 1325 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone: Charting a Way Forward (International Alert) (2010) http://www.international-alert.org/publications/index.php

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/ZR/BCNUDHRapportViolsMassifsKibuaMpofi_en.pdf

Now, the World is Without Me (An investigation of sexual violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo) (Oxfam America/Harvard Humanitarian Initiative) (2010). http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/now-world-without-me

Afraid and Forgotten (Lawlessness, Rape, and Impunity in Western Côte d’Ivoire) (Human Rights Watch) (2010) http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2010/10/22/afraid-and-forgotten-0

Soldiers Who Rape, Commanders Who Condone (Sexual Violence and Military Reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo) (Human Rights Watch) (2009 http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/07/16/soldiers-who-rape-commanders-who-condone-0

You Will Be Punished (Attacks on civilians in Eastern Congo) (Human Rights Watch) (2009)http://www.hrw.org/node/87151

Democratic Republic of Congo: North Kivu: No end to war on women and children (Amnesty International) (2008)http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR62/005/2008/en/f23caedf-8e4a-11dd-8e5e-43ea85d15a69/afr620052008en.html

WELCOME TO MY BLOG "Women, Peace, and Security"

In 2009 I interviewed a woman about her experiences during the post-election violence in Kenya. The woman's name was Amina, a thirty year old mother of two. During the interview Amina described the night that changed her life:

"Me and my husband were walking home in the dark, it was the election night, when we were attacked by an angry mob. I recognized some of them as my neighbours. They separated us and started beating my husband and raping me. I don't know how many they were, after a while I lost count and became unconcious.

When I woke up I was in pain and bleeding. I found my husband who had been beaten to death, his dead body was lying on the ground covered in blood. After the rapes and murder of my husband, I was tested positive for HIV. I feel very weak and have a hard time supporting my two sons. In the community people look down on me, they think I killed my husband by giving him HIV and they say that I'm a bad woman for sleeping with all those other men."

Unfortunatly, Amina is not alone; women and girls often suffer sexual violence in conflict. Tens of thousands of women were raped in Bosnia, half a million during the Rwandan genocide, and every day women are raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Behind every statistic are stories like Amina's.

Last year the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Margot Wallström visited the Congo and was told by a survivor that: "A dead rat is worth more than the body of a woman." This blog has been created to raise awareness of sexual violence in conflict and to empower women to work towards a better future were a woman's body is worth more than a dead rat, a future were women are not mere victims and survivors, but also leaders and respected members of their communities.

Together we can raise the awareness about sexual violence in conflict and push our governments to act. We all have a voice; we just have to make ourselves heard. So Please spread the word to friends and family and use facebook, twitter, and other social networking sites. My hope is that you will find this blog interesting and relevant and get back to me with tips, ideas, and comments.

Women build bridges of peace!

Emmicki Roos

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