War Archives – Women's eNews

Rwandan Rape Survivor in ‘The Uncondemned’ Speaks Out

By Victoire Mukambanda ● Commentary ● October 19, 2016

Victoire Mukambanda was one of the instrumental witnesses who testified to bring about the first conviction of rape as a war crime in Rwanda. That historic trial is the focus of the new documentary “The Uncondemned.”

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Yezidi woman in yellow dress and white scarf stands against the wall of a building, staring off screen

In German Sanctuary, Yezidi Women Begin to Face the Aftermath

By Eetta Prince-Gibson ● Politics ● September 14, 2016

“They are experiencing multiple levels of trauma,” says the medical chief of this special quota project. “There is the individual trauma, of course. And the collective trauma; because the genocide was directed at their entire community.”

Afghan Girl Dreams of Going Home Again

By Zahra W. ● Teen Voices ● July 13, 2016

Zahra used to live in Afghanistan before she came to the U.S. She’d like to go back some day, but doesn’t know if that will be possible.

Syrian women and children giving peace sign

Syrian Women’s Group Keeps an Eye on Stalled Peace Talks

By Amy Lieberman ● Politics ● June 22, 2016

The struggle for female representation at any talks that might resume in Geneva is all too familiar. “You could just delete ‘Syria’ from this discussion and put in Northern Ireland, Liberia, Northern Mali or South Africa,” says one U.N. observer.

In Croatia, Wartime Rape Survivors Start Testing a New Law

By Cyrille Cartier ● Crime & Law ● January 21, 2016

Most survivors who applied for compensation, including legal aid, medical insurance and rehabilitation, are still waiting for the decision. Implementation of the new law is slower than many would like and will determine how many more survivors will come forward.

In Pakistan, Afghan Female Refugees Describe Life in Sector I-12

By Mahwish Qayyum & Por Alison Bowen ● Politics ● January 11, 2016

Pakistan, which hosts one of the world’s largest refugee populations, has been trying for years to repatriate Afghans driven out by the Taliban. For Afghan women in this U.N. refugee settlement, life is bleak but not as dangerous as going home.

In Croatian Refugee Camps, Haste Poses Hardship for Women, Children

By Cyrille Cartier ● Politics ● December 17, 2015

Speed is the name of the game for refugees going through Croatia and heading to the Hungarian or Slovenian border. But as winter nears, that’s particularly hard on women and children coping with inadequate food, sanitation and safety.

Muslim Women in France Say Outreach Desperately Needed

By Léa Bouchoucha ● Politics ● November 24, 2015

“It is catastrophic,” says one Muslim women’s leader, referring to the Nov. 13 attacks. “If we do not act on the causes of why they committed such horrors, we are not going to find the tools to stop them and to offer other alternatives.”

UN Told Iraq’s Hidden Women’s Shelters in Jeopardy

By Tricia Taormina & Por Alison Bowen ● Politics ● October 19, 2015

An Iraqi women’s rights advocate is asking the U.N. Security Council to pressure her government to change its laws about women in the civil-war torn state, including removing obstacles for those operating shelters for women fleeing ISIS.

Croatia’s Wartime Rape Law Raises Hope and Doubt

By Cyrille Cartier ● Crime & Law ● July 23, 2015

A long-overdue law guaranteeing reparations for wartime rape that passed on May 29 is cause for celebration. But the challenges in drafting and passing it could portend difficulty in widespread implementation, set to begin this fall.