Waging War Against Women

Hundreds of women in conflict areas around the world are raped or otherwise sexually abused every day. In fact, sexual violence in conflict has reached nearly epidemic proportions. The international community has the resources to prevent this violence--but we have so far chosen to do very little, or nothing at all--to put an end this abuse.

These women and girls, who are often displaced from their homes, communities and even countries, are vulnerable at all times, even when undertaking daily chores needed for survival, such as collecting firewood for cooking or to sell to support their families. The rape and abuse that occurs when women and girls collect firewood is widespread and preventable. Perhaps nowhere is this danger greater now than in Darfur, Sudan, where women and girls are raped on a near daily basis while collecting firewood. They leave the displaced persons camps knowing full well the dangers they face, but as some have said, 'a woman or girl leaving the camp is only raped, the men and boys are killed.'

It's time to stop the impunity which the perpetrators enjoy and the lawlessness that has prevailed in conflict zones such as Bosnia, Colombia, Democratic Republic, Liberia and Sudan. There are concrete steps the international community can take right now to prevent women and girls from being raped collecting firewood and to change the culture of impunity that allows the abusers to go free. The time to act is now.