Angelina Jolie campaign 'has failed' to stamp out sexual violence as a weapon of war

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Published on Friday, 15 April 2016 20:03

Written by Mirror

           A campaign launched by Hollywood star Angelina Jolie to crackdown on using rape as a weapon of war has failed to stamp out sexual violence in conflict, peers warn today.Angelina and former Foreign Secretary William Hague waged a high-profile fight to tackle the sick practice four years ago.But a House of Lords committee today says it is “as prevalent, if not more prevalent” than when they co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative.More than 120 countries pledged to wipe out eradicate the “barbaric” practice.But peers have warned that the Government must “redouble” its efforts to ensure progress is not “squandered” and said there “remains much more to be done”.Committee chairman Baroness Nicholson said: “If that good start is not to be squandered, it is time for a clear strategic plan on how to take forward the battle against sexual violence in conflict.“We need a five-year strategy with the PSVI’s work appropriately resourced and embedded across Government.“Victims of sexual violence in conflict face unimaginable trauma, which is then exacerbated by the stigma they then often face in their own communities. Their needs must be the priority for organisations working in post-conflict zones.

source: Mirror