[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 13, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker. I rise today to recognize International 
Women's Day and to enter into the Record an article by Edith M. Lederer 
appearing today in the Washington Post, entitled ``U.N. Seeks End to 
Violence Against Girls.''
  Throughout the world, violence against women appears to be 
acceptable. According to a 1997 World Health Organization study, in her 
lifetime, one in five women will be a victim of rape or an attempted 
rape. A separate 2003 report has shown that 147 women are raped every 
day in South Africa. According to the same study, in the U.S. a woman 
is raped every 90 seconds.
  Darfur presents one of the most extreme examples of violence against 
women in the world. Currently, rape is used systematically against 
women in this region of Sudan. While it is impossible to know exactly 
how many women have been victims of sexual violence since the armed 
conflict began; however, it is believed that thousands of women have 
been raped, many multiple times. The devastating effects of rape are 
ever lasting. Victims are pariahs in their families and their 
communities. Women, in the Sudan, and in many places throughout the 
world cannot file complaints against their attackers because no one 
cares or takes the time to listen.
  Sexual violence against women is not limited to the Sudan. Since the 
conflict in Cote d'Ivoire began in 2002, thousands of women and girls 
have become victims of widespread, systematic rape committed by 
combatant forces or their civilian allies. Many women have been 
sexually tortured, gang-raped or abducted and reduced to sexual slavery 
by combatants. These women have little recourse or access to health 
care, counseling or other support services.
  The single most important factor that allows violence against women 
to persist, whether in times of peace or war, is the fact that those 
who attack and rape women know that they can get away with it. I 
support International Women's Day and its efforts to bring much needed 
attention to this critical issue.

               [From the Associated Press, Mar. 8, 2007]

                U.N. Seeks End to Violence Against Girls

                         (By Edith M. Lederer)

       United Nations.--On the eve of International Women's Day, 
     the U.N. Security Council called Wednesday for an end to the 
     ``pervasive violence'' against girls and women during armed 
     conflicts and demanded that the perpetrators be punished.
       The council reiterated ``its utmost condemnation'' of the 
     killing, maiming, sexual abuse, abduction and trafficking of 
     girls and women and called on all warring parties to protect 
     them, especially from rape and other forms of sexual 
     violence.
       In a presidential statement read at a formal meeting, the 
     council emphasized the responsibility of all 192 U.N. member 
     states ``to put an end to impunity and to prosecute those 
     responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war 
     crimes including those relating to sexual and other violence 
     against women and girls.''
       The theme of International Women's Day on Thursday and the 
     two-week meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women 
     that ends Friday is discrimination and violence against 
     girls--and ending the impunity for perpetrators.
       Rachel Mayanja, the special adviser to Secretary-General 
     Ban Ki-moon on gender issues and the advancement of women, 
     told a news conference that girls and women are subjected to 
     violence every day in every country--and the violence 
     ``transcends politics, culture and religion, race, class, 
     income and age.
       ``In order to eliminate violence against women and girls, 
     we must take swift and concerted action to eradicate all 
     forms of discrimination against them, and ensure women's 
     equality with men,'' she said.
       Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of the U.N. Development 
     Fund for Women, said the U.N. Trust Fund to End Violence 
     Against Women has granted more than $13 million to more than 
     230 initiatives in more than 100 countries over the last 10 
     years and demonstrated ``that ending violence against women 
     is possible.''
       ``It is a pandemic that can be stopped . . . given the 
     necessary political will and resources,'' she said.
       Heyzer said currently 89 countries have legislative 
     provisions on domestic violence, 104 countries have made 
     marital rape a crime, 90 countries have provisions against 
     sexual harassment, and 93 states prohibit trafficking of 
     women and men.
       The number of countries adopting legislation against 
     violence is growing, she said, but implementation of the laws 
     ``is often insufficient.''
       Heyzer urged ``a real increase in resources if we are to 
     end impunity,'' including nearly tripling the trust fund's 
     annual budget from the current $3.5 million to $10 million.
       In Wednesday's statement, the Security Council also urged 
     the secretary-general to appoint more women as top envoys in 
     U.N. peacekeeping and peace-building missions, in decision-
     making positions in U.N. field operations, and especially 
     among military observers, civilian police, human rights and 
     humanitarian staff.

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