An event notice from our friends at the Save Darfur Coalition:
What: A Night to End Violence Against Women in Darfur
Who: Women and Men Across the United States and Abroad
Where: Local Communities, Including Yours, United to Save Darfur!
When: February 11, 2008
Growing up in a small town in North Darfur, Niemat Ahmadi’s eldest aunt was the decision maker in her family, above even her father. But today, women are under attack in Darfur. Rape is endemic. The Sudanese government and its janjaweed militias continue to conduct a campaign of sexual violence against women and girls. This is emblematic of Khartoum’s campaign of ethnic cleansing and scorched earth policies throughout the region. It was in this much-changed landscape that Niemat carried a twelve-year old Darfuri girl bleeding from a sexual assault by seven men to a hospital where she was blocked by police officers.
In Darfur, rape is used as a weapon of war. Sudanese government forces and janjaweed militias have raped thousands of Darfuri women while driving them from their homes and into displaced persons camps. In and around these camps, women and girls continue to be targets of extreme sexual violence, often raped when they leave camps to collect firewood. Women and girls are still targets today. Years of continued insecurity have led to an increase in opportunistic rape by a multitude of actors. The Sudanese government exploits and purposefully aggravates this cycle of violence.
We know that together we can raise the profile of this issue and, with one voice, fight the ongoing violence against women. The Save Darfur Coalition has successfully raised the international profile of Darfur, but sexual violence is a key part of the story that has not been prominently told. On February 11, local communities like yours will come together in a night of advocacy to listen to women’s stories and take action. This advocacy night will encourage and further the work that has been done to:
* Provide women and girls protection from gender-based violence inside and outside camps and villages through the full and effective deployment of the UNAMID civilian protection force;
* Facilitate aid, including unhindered access to healthcare, psychosocial services, and rape counseling for victims and their families;
* Promote women’s vital role in community leadership, the peace process, and long-term development; and
* Ensure that survivors of sexual violence have access to justice and the perpetrators are held accountable.
We at Save Darfur will work with Communities United to Save Darfur, partners and individuals across the country to show a short film about violence against women in Darfur. The video tells the personal stories of Darfuri survivors like Niemat Ahmadi to convey the gruesome reality of sexual violence.
Community groups and organizations will host screenings with the help of our ready-made activity kit, and coordinating support from the coalition. Save Darfur will sponsor an anchor event in Washington, with a live streamed question and answer period following the screening. The film will be available online, and activists and community groups can request or download the activity kit to organize screenings and take action in their communities.
We know that together on one night, with one voice we can make a difference in the lives of Darfuri women.
For more information or to express interest in taking part in this advocacy night, please contact Katie Gualtieri at katie [at] savedarfur [dot] org and Sarah Grundahl at sarah [at] savedarfur [dot] org.
