Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
National

WATCH: In Vancouver Angelina Jolie Urges Un To Renew Efforts To Stop Sexual Violence In War

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Nov, 2017 12:40 PM

    VANCOUVER — Angelina Jolie delivered a stinging rebuke Wednesday of global efforts to stop the use of sexual violence in war and called on the UN to finally help turn the tide.

     

    The Academy Award-winning actress was addressing foreign dignitaries and military officials attending the two-day United Nations peacekeeping summit, where the role of women in preventing conflict figured prominently.

     

    The meeting also saw a renewed push to prevent the use of child soldiers and better protect children caught in conflict, as attendees unveiled a series of commitments signed by 53 countries.

     

    Canada played a key role in advancing both conversations as host of the meeting and by pledging $21 million to increase the number and role of women in peacekeeping missions and military operations.

     

    The pledge was made amid a growing recognition that female personnel are essential when it comes to many peacekeeping tasks, such as helping victims of sexual violence and interacting with local women in the field.

     

     

    It also coincides with ongoing concerns about peacekeepers themselves sexually abusing or exploiting the very populations they have been ordered to protect.

     

    Yet only 7 per cent of the 13,000 police officers deployed as peacekeepers and two per cent of the 87,000 military personnel are women, and those numbers have remained stagnant despite promises to double them.

     

    During her address, Jolie, who is also a special envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, listed the many promises, laws and resolutions that have failed to eliminate sexual violence from war.

     

    And she didn't pull any punches as she blasted the UN's failure to increase the number of female peacekeepers deployed on missions, or its efforts to stop peacekeepers from sexually abusing vulnerable populations.

     

    "It has 21 years since the UN first promised to address sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers and to increase the number of women deployed in operations," she said.

     

    "Yet the exploitation of defenceless civilians still takes place. And still less than four per cent of all peacekeepers are women."

     

    But there was also an acknowledgment that a cultural shift is afoot, with Jolie saying that many military leaders have started "to address the taboos around these issues and to take action."

     

    Canada along with the United Kingdom and Bangladesh were singled out for special mention for promising to work together to increase the number of women and better incorporate gender perspectives in their militaries.

     
     

    That initiative was only one of several unveiled by the Trudeau government on Wednesday, along with a pledge of $21 million to boost the number of women in peacekeeping operations around the world.

     

    The money included $6 million to help with reforms at the UN and $15 million for a new trust fund that will be used to help countries increase the number of women in their respective militaries.

     

    The money could be used to facilitate partnerships with other countries that already boast sizable female contingents, and provide incentives to increase the deployment of women into the field.

     

    Several European countries also pledged to dramatically increase the number of female soldiers and police officers assigned to peacekeeping missions.

     

    "I hope they are just the beginning," Jolie said. "We will not only strengthen our societies and improve peacekeeping."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Hells Angels Charged With Drug Trafficking In Nova Scotia, Ontario: Police

    Hells Angels Charged With Drug Trafficking In Nova Scotia, Ontario: Police
    RCMP say Mark David Heickert — a full-patch gang member of the Oshawa Hells Angels — was arrested at a home in Orillia, Ont., without incident.

    Hells Angels Charged With Drug Trafficking In Nova Scotia, Ontario: Police

    Vancouver Police Issue Warning After Woman Sexually Assaulted In Yaletown

    Vancouver Police Issue Warning After Woman Sexually Assaulted In Yaletown
    The VPD are warning the public after a woman in her 30s was sexually assaulted early this morning in Yaletown. Officers believe the suspect ran past witnesses as he fled, and investigators would like to speak with them.

    Vancouver Police Issue Warning After Woman Sexually Assaulted In Yaletown

    Ontario Police To Get New Tools To Search For Missing People

    TORONTO — Police in Ontario are on track to being given more tools when searching for missing people, such as the ability to track cellphones and enter homes in connection with the cases.

    Ontario Police To Get New Tools To Search For Missing People

    Marked RCMP Vehicle Collides With Van In Burnaby, B.C.

    Marked RCMP Vehicle Collides With Van In Burnaby, B.C.
    RCMP say one of its marked vehicles collided with a van in Burnaby on Tuesday night after officers shared a description of it after the driver allegedly drove over a grassed area and a curb.

    Marked RCMP Vehicle Collides With Van In Burnaby, B.C.

    'Recognise 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots As Genocide': Jagmeet Singh-Led Opposition Tells Canada Government

    'Recognise 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots As Genocide': Jagmeet Singh-Led Opposition Tells Canada Government
    NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, has asked the government to “recognise” the 1984 riots in India following the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi as “genocide”.

    'Recognise 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots As Genocide': Jagmeet Singh-Led Opposition Tells Canada Government

    Multiple Fatalities After Fiery 14-Vehicle Crash On Busy Ont. Highway

    Multiple Fatalities After Fiery 14-Vehicle Crash On Busy Ont. Highway
    Police openly expressed shock and dismay on Wednesday hours after a 14-vehicle collision on Highway 400 north of Toronto sent fireballs into the sky and rolling down the road.

    Multiple Fatalities After Fiery 14-Vehicle Crash On Busy Ont. Highway