Sexual Violence in Conflict
Source: IPS news
As part of our wider aim to seek reconciliation and reconstruction for Cunen and other indigenous communities in Guatemala who were destroyed during the armed conflict and genocide and to this day continue to suffer, AMOR is also keen to ensure women survivors are not forgotten. Hence our campaign to end impunity for historical sexual violence committed during the armed conflict in Cunen, to end stigma around the reporting of sexual violence (showing that ‘there is no shame in justice’), to aid the recovery of the survivors and community, to assist those born of wartime rape, and finally help rebuild the foundations of an equitable and violence-free future for indigenous women in Guatemala by giving women and girls a voice.
The UK government is leading the way on resolving this issue. As the House of Lords Sexual Violence in Conflict Committee considers the UK's policy and practice of preventing sexual violence in conflict, panel members will consider how ending impunity is affected by the stigma faced by survivors. At the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in June 2014, survivors repeatedly called for the same things: ending impunity and ending the stigma they face. While the UK Government's Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative has focused on holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes, for some survivors, stigma can be a barrier to coming forward, and can have a greater impact on their lives.
The UK government is leading the way on resolving this issue. As the House of Lords Sexual Violence in Conflict Committee considers the UK's policy and practice of preventing sexual violence in conflict, panel members will consider how ending impunity is affected by the stigma faced by survivors. At the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in June 2014, survivors repeatedly called for the same things: ending impunity and ending the stigma they face. While the UK Government's Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative has focused on holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes, for some survivors, stigma can be a barrier to coming forward, and can have a greater impact on their lives.
