EMPOWERING EFFORTS: Advocates for women’s rights like Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad are leading the charge to a world built on respect and equality for victims.
Women and refugees have been extremely relevant topics this year, especially with the trending #Metoo movement going on worldwide. The Norwegian Nobel Committee featured these trends by recognizing two inspiring individuals with the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 5. The honorary recognition was won by Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their groundbreaking dedication to the fight against sexual violence and I couldn’t agree more with the organization’s decision.
Mukwege, a gynecologist and surgeon working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has dedicated his life to end sexual violence against women as a strategy and weapon of war.
In 1999, he set up the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has treated thousand of women and girls who have been victims of sexual violence.
Not only has he treated them, he has also defended the victims selflessly in his country and other countries around the world. Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, explained that he criticizes the Congolese government and other countries for not supporting and doing enough to condemn the impunity associated with mass rape in war-time.
With the national and international fight against this injustice, Muwege provided an encouraging and hopeful message after finding out he had received the award. He directed the message to the victims in his response statement to the Nobel Prize Committee and others on the Panzi Foundation website, “I would like to tell you that through this prize, the world is listening to you and refusing to remain indifferent. The world refuses to sit idly in the face of your suffering.”
To me, Mukwege is a prime example of a man who contributes to gender equality. The idea behind feminism, the #Metoo movement and gender equality is explained incredibly well by actress Justine Musk. She says, “The enemy of feminism isn’t men. It is patriarchy and patriarchy is not men. It is a system and women can support the system of patriarchy just as men can support the fight for gender equality.” Mukwege is part of the individuals that are fighting against the system of patriarchy and sexual violence, not the population of men.
Parallel to Muwege in terms of her story and involvement with the cause, Murad understands what it is like to be one of the victims Muwege treats and advocates for. Murad, like her mother and more than 3,000 Yazidi women, is a witness of the abuse perpetrated against Iraqi women and other minorities.
She has spoken out with great courage against the systematic rape and abuse of women as part of ISIS military strategy. In doing so, she has become the UN’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking and has founded an organization known as “Nadia’s Foundation.” The foundation is aimed at increasing advocacy for women and minorities.
Like Muwege, Murad’s statement on winning the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize was a powerful one. She emphasized that commitment towards rebuilding communities devastated by genocide must continue and safe pathways home for survivors must be provided.
Murad has also decided to donate 100 percent of the $500,000 prize to the help the Yazidis, Iraqis, Kurds and persecuted minorities. As Murad stated in her response to the award on her website, “We must support efforts to focus on humanity, and overcome political and cultural divisions. We must not only imagine a better future for women, children and persecuted minorities, we must work consistently to make it happen – prioritizing humanity, not war.”
I agree with Reiss-Andersen who said in the awarding announcement that Mukwege and Murad, in their own way, have been able to increase the visibility of wartime sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
Yet, like Murad said in her press conference, the fight against sexaul violence is not over and that a single prize and a single person cannot accomplish these goals. It is necessary to have an international effort.
Some efforts may come from changing the values in our households, in our education and labor systems and society in general. Although these efforts may seem very idealistic, they are not because they are progressing slowly and are becoming very real. Power is building through the organization of protests and marches. Women are running for office, men with positions of power are being held accountable, and men and other genders are becoming part of the revolution against our patriarchal system.
Moreover, I also place a lot of faith in international law for the future of not only women’s issues but human right issues. In the case of sexual violence against women in war-time, the idea is respecting the 1820 Resolution adopted by the UN Security Council a decade ago and others alike. This Resolution has defined the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict a war crime and a threat to international peace and security. Without respecting these basic rights and laws, world peace will not advance.
As a woman and a feminist, is it empowering to see light and visibility being shined on these disturbing, unjust and inhumane acts on women. This movement is growing stronger and stronger into fruition and the light is not dimming any longer.
This article can be found in University of Tampa Student Newspaper: The Minaret
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