Margot Wallström was tuesday appointed Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict by the UN.
She promised a more effective battle against the scourge, citing recent mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and calling her new task “mission irresistible.”
KVINDERS RET TIL EGEN KROP
– Sexual violence against women is not cultural, it’s criminal. It’s not a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue. It’s for both men and women to make sure that women have the right to their body, said Margot Wallström, a Swedish politician with a long history in defending women’s rights, at a news briefing in New York.
– Women carry half the sky, so they have to be valued that way, she added.
VIGTIG ROLLE
The UN views the new appointment as a major step towards protecting civilians subjected to sexual violence not only in conflict but also in post-conflict situations.
Tuesday’s presentation came just a day after the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reported that more than 8,000 women were raped in the DRC during fighting between warring factions last year.
IKKE KUN CONGO
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy told the briefing that such abuse was occurring not just in the DRC.
– In most of our missions we have this extremely serious question of sexual violence, he said.
