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We Are Rising!

14 February 2014

Did you know that sexual violence and abuse has been reported in nearly every peacekeeping operation since they began, and victims of these crimes are further away than ever from finding justice for these horrific crimes?

This is why we, together with the V-Day Movement and many other organisations worldwide, support the One Billion Rising (link) campaign today and demand justice for these victims and accountability of our international community.

On our path to justice ... We rise to end sexual violence happening under the watch of peacekeepers

Under our Paths to Justice Project,

… We rise to end sexual violence happening under the watch of peacekeepers. This is the slogan on our Facebook Cover Photo for the day. What do we mean by this?

WILPF has started its ‘Paths to Justice‘ project to address these issues and demand accountability from our international community.

The Project started with two international legal conferences, which resulted in a comprehensive outcome document outlining the basic legal structures involved and providing key recommendations. Now the project continues in monitoring and advocacy efforts at international human rights mechanisms, developing materials to raise awareness and connecting our partners in the field.

Read more about WILPF’s project “Paths to Justice”.

Join us – today!

Remember it is not too late to join us! Either find us on Facebook and share the Cover Photo (remember the descriptive text, otherwise the Cover Photo doesn’t make sense) OR download the Cover Photo below.

By sharing/downloading the Facebook Cover Photo today on Friday, February 14th, you both support the One Billion Rising campaign AND create awareness on the issue of peacekeeping accountabilities. 

Download Cover Photo  

What to do 
  1. Download the Facebook Cover Photo (see above)
  2. Replace your Facebook Cover Photo with the Campaign Cover Photo
  3. Important: Click on the Cover Photo and add this describing text; 

Today One Billion Women and Men are rising to demand justice for survivors of violence.     

We/I are/am rising with them and we/I are/am demanding justice for those who are victims of sexual violence happening under the watch of peacekeepers. Peacekeepers represent us, the international community, and are there to protect and serve the vulnerable community in need of their help. Sexual violence of any kind is never okay and immunity should never be given for these crimes. Ever. Rise with us now.  

What can you do?

1. Click and read here: https://www.wilpf.org/paths-to-justice/

2. Share this Cover Photo and become one of the One Billion Rising. Read more about the campaign here: www.onebillionrising.org

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Are you rising with us? Don’t be shy, write your name in the comments below! Feel free to tell us why you rise with us and with the V-day Movement.

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Thank you!

Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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