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- Ελληνικά
The Women Political Leaders Summit in Athens began today. The Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE CSCE), Ms Irini Charalambidou, was the keynote speaker in a discussion on ending sexual violence in conflict zones.
In her intervention, Ms. Charalambidou condemned the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and said that it is reinforced by the fact that perpetrators know that victims will be reluctant to report it for fear of stigmatization and rejection. She referred in this context to the women of Cyprus who suffered sexual violence in 1974, and recalled that even today, as a result of multiple ongoing conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh, Ukraine and the Middle East, women and girls are disproportionately affected by ongoing violence, bloodshed and displacement. She expressed concern that in conditions of displacement, women and girls are at increased risk of being exploited by trafficking networks.
Referring to the issue of the lack of condemnation and accountability of those who commit crimes of sexual violence in the context of conflict, Ms. Charalambidou acknowledged that despite the existence of relevant international legal norms prohibiting these crimes, there is unfortunately no reliable deterrent. To achieve this, she stressed, it is necessary to incorporate actions to combat sexual violence into peacekeeping and other missions, while it is also necessary to include targeted sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence crimes in all existing sanctions regimes. He added that the establishment of relevant Commissions of Inquiry and the referral of cases to the International Criminal Court should be supported, and stressed the importance of training of military and law enforcement forces.
At the same time, Ms. Charalambidou noted that the needs of victims should be at the heart of a holistic response that includes health and psychosocial care, provision of safe housing, livelihood support, legal assistance and socio-economic reintegration. She noted the importance of combating gender stereotypes, which often prevent victims from reporting the sexual violence they have suffered.
"But all this will never be enough," Ms. Charalambidou said, "if we fail to address the broader reality of women's marginalization from decision-making processes, conflict prevention efforts and peace negotiations."
In conclusion, Ms. Charalambidou pointed out that preventing and combating sexual violence requires targeted policies and political will to build a system where women are respected both in war and in peace.
(Text as sent from the House of Representatives)
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