ABAAD MENA's video: Stop using women and girls as weapons of war

On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict Stop using women and girls as weapons of war! Sexual violence against women, particularly rape, has become a weapon of war used by fighters in armed conflicts in the Middle East. From Sudan to Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Occupied Palestine, the increasing number of women victims and survivors of sexual violence is alarming and calls for an effective intervention to develop protection mechanisms that would prevent the use of women and girls as weapons of war. Sexual violence in armed conflicts has psychological, physical and social impacts as women and girls are forced to meet the sexual needs of armed groups which leaves them stigmatized, excluded from society and even killed in the name of ''honor''. As such, on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we stress on the need to protect women and provide them with adequate assistance to help them overcome such violent experiences. It is noteworthy to mention that the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/69/293) proclaimed 19 June of each year the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, in order to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence and to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world.