Washington Post: Sexual violence is rife in war zones. We must take action.
Heiko Maas, foreign minister of Germany, and Angelina Jolie, co-founder of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative

“…[T]oday, decades of gradual progress in expanding human rights and entrenching international law are threatened by a rising tide of intolerance and a weakened commitment to human rights. In particular, … the wait for gender equality is growing. Women’s rights are again being called into question, and demands for sexual and reproductive health and rights are met in some quarters with open hostility. … Nowhere has this retreat been more visible than in wars and post-conflict situations. Rape and other forms of sexual violence are used as a tactic of war and terrorism in conflicts around the world. … [T]hree areas need urgent focus … First, we want to ensure that perpetrators of sexual violence are held accountable. … Second, we need better monitoring. … Finally, we must increase support to survivors of sexual violence and ensure their voices are at the center of our response. … As current president of the [U.N.] Security Council, Germany is proposing a resolution that addresses these three concerns, urging targeted sanctions on those who perpetrate and direct violence, anchoring the topic in an informal working group and laying out an inclusive, survivor-centered approach. Adopting it would be a much-needed step toward ending impunity for sexual violence in conflict. It would also send an important message to those who attempt to roll back human rights: We don’t take progress for granted. And we will fight to keep it alive” (4/22).