High numbers of rape, abuse cases should spark international outrage
Let’s talk domestic violence. It’s a major issue both in the United States and around the world. It’s in our own backyard; in 2009, South Carolina ranked seventh in the nation for female homicide by men. The problem with ending domestic violence, of course, is that we don’t talk about it. We live in a nation that would rather keep negative things below the radar.
Domestic violence on the international level often tackles even scarier subjects, particularly that of using rape as a systematic war tactic. This is a form of psychological warfare, and often the victims are not the opposing nation’s soldiers — they are their civilians. This undermines the country’s power and absolutely massacres morale. Many times, husbands and children are forced to watch their wives and mothers suffer.
War rape also takes the form of gang rape, and sometimes objects are even used — even guns. Military leaders are very thorough, making sure to victimize each and every woman in a town or village.
Sometimes women are taken as sexual slaves, such as the case of Japanese “comfort women” during World War II. Their stories are never told, and no one ever apologizes to them. When sex slaves are released, they basically have no choice but to go into hiding to mask their shame.
The Geneva Conventions recognize systematic rape and sexual slavery as crimes against humanity, as well as war crimes. This doesn’t stop them from happening, though. Current conflict zones such as Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chechnya, Nepal and Afghanistan suffer from rape crimes.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been raped in the DRC alone; around 200,000 victims are still alive. United Nations peacekeepers are present in the country and are supposedly working on peaceful negotiations. However, more than 500 rapes were reported in August 2010. What good are the U.N. peacekeepers doing if such things are happening? That number does not even take into account the number of victims who did not report the crime. In all reality, the number is most likely much higher in these areas, where continued conflict has made determining specific criminal acts almost impossible. The U.N.’s commitment to patient negotiation is what makes the organization unique, but in the face of this widespread attack on women, something more must be done.
Though overseas, these sorts of crimes affect all of us. From the rapes that happen here in our town to the war rapes that happen in the DRC, we are all responsible for taking action. It is our human duty to help those in need.
Please consider conducting your own research, finding organizations that actually provide help and spreading the word about domestic violence. It hurts all of us. Help break the silence of the millions suffering. End the violence. It’s up to all of us.
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