CHINA TOPIX

12/22/2024 07:32:43 pm

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Angelina Jolie Represents Iraqi Women in Fight to End Sexual Violence in War Zones

Actress Angelina Jolie speaks against sexual violence against women.

(Photo : REUTERS/Parliament TV/Handout via Reuters)

Actress and United Nations envoy Angelina Jolie spoke on behalf of Iraqi girls in war zones who suffer from rape and other forms of sexual violence. Jolie hopes to shed light on the issue as the Islamic state is using the dehumanizing crime as a weapon of war.

According to UN rights groups, thousands of women and young girls have suffered from brutal acts of abduction, rape, and sexual slavery by the Islamic State, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

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"The most aggressive terrorist group in the world today is using rape as a centerpoint of their terror and their way of destroying communities and families," Jolie declared as she sat at a British parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

The Hollywood actress has been known to be an activist against human rights violations and have since been strongly involved in organizations such the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Since 2013, Jolie has worked with British foreign secretary William Hague to end sexual violence in war zones, rescue victims and transfer them to a safer place, and seek justice by pursuing those responsible.

Jolie is alarmed at the magnitude of the problem. The Islamic state is encouraging their militant group to commit this act of violence against women, saying, "You should do this, this is the way to build a society, we ask you to rape."

Similarly, Hague asserted that the problem must be addressed, but he is confident that it can be solved, saying, "The use of rape in war should shame all men but it is possible to combat the problem," BBC reported.

While the actress is all out in using her celebrity status to raise awareness, she does admit that she has limitations. A problem of this scale needs to be addressed through policy change.

Meanwhile, Jolie recently produced the movie "Difret," which talks about the harrowing stories of Ethiopian women who suffer from sexual violence. 

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