International Community Condemns Sexual Violence Against Women

More than 60 nations came together at the U.N. Security CouncilThursday to condemn sexual violence against women as a weapon of war. The United States holds the rotating presidency of the council thismonth, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice chaired the specialsession. From United Nation's headquarters in New York, VOA's MargaretBesheer has more.

Secretary Rice said for several years therehas been a debate about whether the Security Council is the appropriateforum to address the issue.

"This world body now acknowledgesthat sexual violence in conflict zones is indeed a security concern,"she said. "We affirm that sexual violence profoundly affects not onlythe health and safety of women, but the economic and social stabilityof their nations."

At the end of the daylong debate, the councilis expected to unanimously adopt a resolution demanding that parties toarmed conflicts immediately stop all acts of sexual violence againstcivilians.

"Today's resolution establishes a mechanism forbringing these atrocities to light," she added. "Specifically, theresolution requests that the Secretary-General prepare an action planfor collecting information on the use of sexual violence in situationsof armed conflict and then reporting that information periodically tothe Council."

Rice and others expressed concern about thewidespread use of rape in such conflict zones as the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC) and Sudan. And she noted that there havebeen reports of sexual exploitation and abuse by some U.N.peacekeepers, as well as by the staff at the U.N. Mission in Liberia.

TheUnited Nations has worked to tackle that problem, and Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon told the meeting that the U.N. is committed to azero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation by its personnel.

Hewent on to say that violence against women has reached pandemicproportions in some societies attempting to recover from conflict, andresponding to it requires leadership at the top level.

"Wemust do far more to involve women in conflict prevention, peacenegotiations and recovery after the guns fall silent," he said.

Rapehas been documented in many armed conflicts across the globe, includingin Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Haiti, Liberia and Uganda. Many victimsare often ostracized by their family or community. Others findthemselves infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Inaddition to rape, women are also subject to forced prostitution duringtimes of war, trading their bodies for food, shelter and protection,and some are recruited as child soldiers.