Women, Action & the Media

The Nobel Women’s Initiative is a powerhouse organization because it’s run by and for global visionaries: female Nobel Peace Laureates including Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Mairead Maguire, and Rigoberta Menchú Tum. Together with a dedicated, talented staff, they’re “using the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize and courageous women peace laureates to magnify the power and visibility of women working in countries around the world for peace, justice and equality.”

All of their work is transformative, but what earns them a spot on our 16 Days list is their brand-new International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict.

It may sound like an impossible goal: ending all rape and gender violence in conflict zones? But it’s not. I had the honor to attend a conference earlier this year as part of the development of this campaign, and let me tell you: everyone involved with this campaign is serious, and the women in the lead know how to get “impossible” things done on a global scale.

But they can’t do it without all of us. In NWI’s own words: “The UN Secretary General says 1 out of every 3. That is one billion women.  Imagine One Billion Women Rising to end the violence! And a billion men rising with us. Organizations and individuals around the world have been working long and hard to stop rape and gender violence in conflict.  The International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict, spearheaded by the Nobel Women’s Initiative, is bringing them together to develop and carry out coordinated plans of action to help end this wanton scourge.”

For today’s action, please read and consider endorsing or joining NWI’s Campaign Call. Because summarizing it would rob you of its full power, here’s their Call in full:

Because we envision a world without war, rape and gender violence where women and men are equal;

Because rape and gender violence destroy individuals and families, entire communities and the fabric of society;

Because rape and gender violence have increasingly become a deliberate tactic of terror in war and other conflict situations.

Because in recent years alone, massive numbers of women – and sometimes men and boys – have suffered not only the physical trauma of rape and gender violence in war and other conflict situations, but also the shame and stigma that often leaves survivors suffering in silence;

Because perpetrators of rape and gender violence go unpunished and impunity is the order of the day;

Because national, regional and international commitments to end rape and gender violence in war and other conflict situations are either seriously inadequate or are not being enforced; and

Because women and girls, men and boys across the world demand and expect justice.

We call for:

• Powerful and urgent leadership on the local, national, regional and international levels to prevent and stop rape and gender violence in war and conflict situations;
• A dramatic increase in resources for prevention and protection and for psychosocial and physical healing for survivors, their families and communities including concerted efforts to end stigma of survivors;
• Justice for victims, including prosecution of perpetrators at national, regional and international levels, and comprehensive reparation for survivors…”

To join or endorse the call, just click here. Imagine if one billion of us did exactly that, and then took action together. It can happen, and if the global leaders at NWI have anything to say about it, it will.