Close X
Saturday, November 2, 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

    New Rules For Citizenship Come Into Effect Next Week

    New Rules For Citizenship Come Into Effect Next Week
    BRAMPTON, Ont. — Changes to the rules about becoming a Canadian citizen come into effect next week.

    New Rules For Citizenship Come Into Effect Next Week

    Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, Edmonton Terror Suspect, Was Ordered To Leave U.S. In 2011

    Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, Edmonton Terror Suspect, Was Ordered To Leave U.S. In 2011
    Authorities in the United States say a Somali refugee accused of attacking a police officer and running down four pedestrians in Edmonton was ordered removed from the country in 2011 by an immigration judge.

    Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, Edmonton Terror Suspect, Was Ordered To Leave U.S. In 2011

    Man Admits Sneaking Snakes Over Canada-US Border In Socks

    Man Admits Sneaking Snakes Over Canada-US Border In Socks
    Federal prosecutors in Buffalo, N.Y., say 28-year-old Chaoyi Le faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to violating wildlife regulations.  Sentencing is set for Oct. 30.

    Man Admits Sneaking Snakes Over Canada-US Border In Socks

    Shopify Shares 10 Per Cent Plunge After Report Questions Company Operations

    VANCOUVER — Shopify Inc. shares plunged nearly 10 per cent Wednesday after a research report alleged the e-commerce platform company operates outside the law.

    Shopify Shares 10 Per Cent Plunge After Report Questions Company Operations

    Langley, B.C., Boy Hurt When Vehicle Chase Between Citizens Ends In Crash

    Langley, B.C., Boy Hurt When Vehicle Chase Between Citizens Ends In Crash
    LANGLEY, B.C. — A 12-year-old boy from Langley, B.C., has been seriously hurt after being run down by a vehicle involved in a chase through a residential area of the Metro Vancouver community.

    Langley, B.C., Boy Hurt When Vehicle Chase Between Citizens Ends In Crash

    Blaze Damages Vancouver Metalwork Firm, Prompts Rescue Of Dogs In Nearby Kennel

    Blaze Damages Vancouver Metalwork Firm, Prompts Rescue Of Dogs In Nearby Kennel
    The Fire Broke Out On East 3rd Avenue Between Ontario And Quebec Streets Near Downtown Vancouver

    Blaze Damages Vancouver Metalwork Firm, Prompts Rescue Of Dogs In Nearby Kennel