Protect the women of Darfur

The women in Darfuri refugee camps regularly fall prey to a targeted campaign of rape encouraged by the Sudanese government.

Peacekeepers have tried to protect women, but they have failed because they are short of resources and stretched too thin to do the job.

Fill out the fields below to call on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to act on behalf of the women of Darfur by pushing for full UNAMID deployment.

Subject:

Dear Secretary Rice,

(Edit Letter Below)

As you are aware, sexual violence has become endemic in Darfur. The Sudanese government and its militias continue to conduct a targeted campaign of sexual violence against women and girls. And this campaign has created a culture of impunity that has resulted in widespread gender-based violence by a range of actors.

Women and girls live in constant fear of sexual violence, a phenomenon that contributes to the region's instability and is rapidly breaking down the social fabric in Darfur.

The Sudanese government purposefully aggravates this culture of violence and bears primary responsibility for the deteriorating situation for women and girls in Darfur. However, the international community as a whole has failed to develop an effective approach to protect Darfuri women, prevent sexual violence and provide adequate support to survivors.

You have the opportunity to change this. This past June, you chaired a meeting of the Security Council to discuss the prevalence of sexual violence in conflict. The passage of Resolution 1820 was a clear sign that the world would not stand by as innocent women and girls become tools of war. I urge you to work diligently to follow up on this promise and ensure that the UNAMID civilian protection force is fully equipped to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

In particular you must ensure that:

* U.S.-led train-and-equip programs for troops and formed police units includes gender sensitivity instruction and training to help prevent and appropriately respond to violence against women;

* UNSC Resolution 1820 on sexual violence in armed conflict is fully implemented as relevant to Darfur, including the imposition of targeted sanctions for non-compliance;

* UNAMID makes prevention and response to sexual violence a priority when interpreting and fulfilling its mandate;

* Troop- and police-contributing countries make an effort to train and sensitize their troops and enforce strict action against those who engage in sexual misconduct;

* UNAMID carries out, in coordination with the local community and humanitarian agencies, regular patrols inside and outside camps, markets, and villages, including "firewood" patrols and night patrols;

* UNAMID includes at every station well-trained female soldiers, civilian police, investigators and translators tasked to assist victims of sexual violence; and

* UNAMID develops an enhanced mechanism to hold personnel accountable for acts of sexual exploitation in accordance with U.N. Zero Tolerance policy.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your address]

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