The Nobel Peace Prize and the struggle to fight sexual violence

Liv Tørres, Adjunct Professor at the Wits School of Governance (WSG) and the Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo will present this talk.

Sexual violence has been used in war throughout history and on all continents. Yet, it is only 10 years ago that the UN recognised sexual violence as a weapon of war. This year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Peace Prize to Denis Mukwege from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Yazidi woman Nadia Murad from northern Iraq for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. Both laureates have, according to the Nobel Committee made a crucial contribution to focusing attention on, and combating, such war crimes. This talk will be about sexual violence as a weapon of war; the two laureates; the importance of the Peace Prize and the need to give more attention to sexual violence.

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