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

    Navdeep Bains Says Federal Government Will Consider Legislation To Protect Employees'

    Navdeep Bains Says Federal Government Will Consider Legislation To Protect Employees'
    "This is a legitimate issue and a legitimate challenge," Bains said Wednesday, adding that the government is "very mindful" of the fact that bankruptcy "could happen at any time with any company."

    Navdeep Bains Says Federal Government Will Consider Legislation To Protect Employees'

    Vancouver Housing Market Remains 'Highly Vulnerable': CMHC

    Vancouver Housing Market Remains 'Highly Vulnerable': CMHC
    Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the country's housing markets remain "highly vulnerable" with evidence of moderate overvaluation and price acceleration.

    Vancouver Housing Market Remains 'Highly Vulnerable': CMHC

    Halifax Councillor Shawn Cleary Says He Won't Use The Word 'Marijuana' Because It's Racist

    Coun. Shawn Cleary said a police officer he works with on a cannabis legalization task force recently brought it to his attention that the term has a racist history.

    Halifax Councillor Shawn Cleary Says He Won't Use The Word 'Marijuana' Because It's Racist

    Not Up To Premier To Dictate How Catholic Schools Teach Sex Education: Jason Kenney

    Alberta Conservative Party leadership candidate Jason Kenney says it's not up to Premier Rachel Notley to dictate how sex education is taught in the Catholic school system.

    Not Up To Premier To Dictate How Catholic Schools Teach Sex Education: Jason Kenney

    Forecasters Call For Cool, Dry Halloween Across Much Of The Country

    Forecasters Call For Cool, Dry Halloween Across Much Of The Country
    TORONTO — Forecasters say the relatively cool, stable weather conditions expected this Halloween will feel like a particularly festive treat coming on the heels of a tumultuous week in much of the country.

    Forecasters Call For Cool, Dry Halloween Across Much Of The Country

    Vancouver Police Seek Witness To Baseball Bat Beating In The Downtown Eastside

    Vancouver Police Seek Witness To Baseball Bat Beating In The Downtown Eastside
    Investigators would like to speak with a motorcyclist who witnessed an assault in the Downtown Eastside. 

    Vancouver Police Seek Witness To Baseball Bat Beating In The Downtown Eastside