Nadia's Initiative Co-Hosts "Women in Conflicts" Event with EU Council
On 9 June 2022, European Council President Charles Michel co-hosted the second edition of “Women in Conflicts,” bringing together women leaders and survivors of conflicts.
The event, co-hosted with UN Women, Nadia’s Initiative, and the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation, focused on survivors, justice and reparations, and women’s leadership in conflict. The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska and Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, joined the event.
Watch the event recap here.
Read Nadia’s remarks below:
You can relate to the issue of sexual violence and rape being used as a weapon against women. You see it now happening in Ukraine. We’re in the 21st century and history keeps repeating itself…
The history of conflict-related sexual violence is as old as war itself and it is largely a gender-based violence issue.
Women weave together so much of the fabric of our societies. Regimes like ISIS systematically used sexual violence against women to tear that social fabric and unravel our communities from within. Too often, we let them succeed. But women and survivors are always fighting back. We need to support them.
This pattern of sexual violence in conflict repeats itself over and over again because the root causes haven’t changed. When we don’t take gender equality and women’s empowerment seriously in times of peace, it’s no surprise that gender discrimination turns violent in times of war.
You have been a strong advocate for women and children victims of sexual violence. What is essential these days in helping victims?
Because we see this pattern repeat over and over again, we have to also analyze the pattern of our responses. We’ve tried aid and rehabilitation – these are important and should continue. But it’s also time to try something new. To take bold action to stop the cycle of violence.
One of the important ways to do this is through accountability. As a survivor, I don’t just want to see my abusers brought to justice, I want real progress in preventing further exploitation of women in my community and around the world. That would be healing for me. Accountability serves both of these goals.
Trying perpetrators for sexual violence helps survivors heal. It recognizes the suffering they endured and that their humanity and rights matter. At the same time, accountability shows potential perpetrators that they will not receive impunity. This helps prevent violence by discouraging perpetrators from committing sexual violence in the first place.
August is the 8 year anniversary of the Yazidi genocide and thousands are still waiting for their loved ones to return. There are 2,800 women and children still in captivity, including my nieces and my sisters-in-law, and their families are just waiting. The ones that escaped did it on their own, but they were not able to receive support. They are in displacement camps without support or privacy. It is not a dignified life. They are struggling to access education, healthcare, and basic needs. It is important to remember we haven’t done enough to make sure it is not happening in Ukraine.
I have been hearing that 90% of Ukrainians want to go back to their homes. It is the same thing with the Yazidi community. They were ready to go back and are hoping to go back and rebuild their lives, but no one was there to help them and tell them they could go back. They have no support.
I am worried the same thing will happen in Ukraine if we fail to protect them and help them go back.
Looking ahead, what can be done from here?
It’s important to acknowledge the contributions survivors make. None of us would be here without the bravery, honesty, and insights from thousands of survivors all around the world.
We can always do more to empower survivors and center them in our conversations and projects. Survivors know best what they need to heal and recover. We can be there to listen, amplify their voices, and provide resources.
Reparations are a powerful tool of justice. They provide much deserved recognition and restitution for survivors. And they also empower survivors with choice. Choices about how to heal and rebuild their lives. That’s why Dr. Mukwege and I founded the Global Survivors Fund.
To break the cycle of violence, we need to empower women, survivors, and marginalized communities with resources and security. And we need to hold perpetrators accountable for sexual violence and end the culture of impunity.
Our core mission at Nadia’s Initiative is to empower women and include gender equality as part of peace and stability.
What are your thoughts about the Brussels Declaration?
What is powerful about this declaration is that it does not only state the facts. Naming and recognizing the problem is a critical first step. But that itself cannot make change if there is no political will.
Article number 5 is really key here. It acknowledges that all states have a responsibility to end sexual violence. And Articles 6-16 layout important steps for how to do that. Because we need action, not just words.
To everyone here today, I want to convey that our work is not done when we leave here today. It’s not done when we sign onto this document. We need to write these words into laws and projects. We need to live them.