Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 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

    Amarjeet Sohi Says Construction Well Underway Despite Planned $2 Billion Spending Delay

    OTTAWA — The federal infrastructure minister is defending a budget shift on his file, saying the planned delay in more than $2 billion in spending has nothing to do with the program itself.

    Amarjeet Sohi Says Construction Well Underway Despite Planned $2 Billion Spending Delay

    Preventable Break And Enters Still A Problem In Surrey

    Preventable Break And Enters Still A Problem In Surrey
    Although break and enters (B&Es) are down 17% in Surrey this year, the Surrey RCMP is still seeing a significant number of preventable B&E incidents involving insecure premises and garage door openers.

    Preventable Break And Enters Still A Problem In Surrey

    Doctor Says Canadian-Led Heart Valve Surgery Details Will 'Blow People's Minds'

    Doctor Says Canadian-Led Heart Valve Surgery Details Will 'Blow People's Minds'
    A Vancouver cardiologist has presented details of a revolutionary heart valve surgery to thousands of doctors from around the world and says the minimally invasive procedure will "blow people's minds."

    Doctor Says Canadian-Led Heart Valve Surgery Details Will 'Blow People's Minds'

    B.C. Moves To Restrict Union, Corporate Donations To Local Governments

    B.C. Moves To Restrict Union, Corporate Donations To Local Governments
    VICTORIA — The British Columbia government is aiming to take big money out of municipal politics with legislation that bans corporate and union donations and limits donations by individuals to $1,200.

    B.C. Moves To Restrict Union, Corporate Donations To Local Governments

    Drunk Man Allegedly Found Unconscious Under Tree With Rifle, Balaclava

    Drunk Man Allegedly Found Unconscious Under Tree With Rifle, Balaclava
    HALIFAX — A man is facing numerous charges after he was allegedly found unconscious wearing a ski mask with a rifle and ammunition on a Halifax-area street.

    Drunk Man Allegedly Found Unconscious Under Tree With Rifle, Balaclava

    Toronto Police Officer With Cocaine In His Wallet Pleads Guilty To Misconduct

    TORONTO — A disciplinary tribunal will weigh whether a Toronto police officer who had cocaine in his wallet should be demoted for a year and submitted to random drug tests.

    Toronto Police Officer With Cocaine In His Wallet Pleads Guilty To Misconduct