FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 27, 2012
[NEW YORK, NY] - The Global Justice Center applauds the resolution passed by the Socialist International Women congress on "rape as a weapon or tactic of armed conflict."
The organization is made up of 149 organisations from all parts of the world and is the international organisation of women's organisations of the socialist, social democratic and labour parties affiliated with Socialist International. The resolution was passed during a Congress which was held in held in Cape Town, South Africa from August 27-28th, 2012.
Excerpt from the resolution on rape as a weapon or Tactic of Armed Conflict:
Socialist International Women believes that social democratic countries should take on a leadership role in ensuring that the SCR 1325 and other related resolutions and the laws of war that they are based on are actually utilized and are enforced.
They continue:
Socialist International Women requires that:
- The use of sexual violence used as an illegal tactic and weapon of war is put on the international agenda;
- International aid organizations that provide health care for women in conflict-affected areas, to provide abortions for women who have been raped, as they are entitled to under the Geneva Conventions;
- Rape is included on the list of unlawful weapons of war under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; (ICC)
- Prohibitions on the use of sexual violence as an illegal tactic and weapon of war are enforced so as to hold states civilly accountable, and high officials criminally responsible for its use.
The GJC applauds the Socialist International Women for taking such a leading stance on this issue.