Expert: International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict | June 19

The International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 19 raises awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world. It also pays tribute to all those who have courageously devoted their lives to and lost their lives in standing up for the eradication of these crimes. (United Nations)

Here is an expert from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue:

Myriam Denov, Full Professor, School of Social Work and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Youth, Gender and Armed Conflict

“Every year, thousands of women, men, girls and boys suffer sexual violence during and following armed conflict. An individual sexual violence survivor may not only suffer physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences from the assault, but it also can affect subsequent generations and the broader family and community in multiple and complex ways. Despite the growing attention to sexual violence during armed conflict, its intergenerational effects remain poorly understood – particularly in relation to children born of wartime rape. As a result of their birth origins, children born of war rape may face profound violence, stigma, exclusion, socio-economic marginalization from family and community, and are often prevented from accessing land, education, and health care. Children born of war rape face a distinct set of challenges and needs that have yet to be addressed in local, national and international policy and post-war programming.”

Myriam Denov is a Full Professor at the School of Social Work and holds the Canada Research Chair in Youth, Gender and Armed Conflict (Tier 1). Her research and teaching interests lie in the areas of children and youth in adversity, and international child protection, with an emphasis on war and political violence, children in armed conflict, and gender-based violence. A specialist in participatory research, she has worked with war-affected children in Asia, Africa, and the Americas and has conducted research on the reintegration experiences of former child soldiers in Sierra Leone and Colombia, and war-affected youth living in Canada.

myriam.denov [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)