London: Hollywood star and UN special envoy Angelina Jolie has sought more political commitment to tackle cases of sexual violence in conflicts around the world as she highlighted the use of rape as a weapon by Islamic State militants to terrorise and destroy communities.
“They are dictating it as policy… Beyond what we have seen before,” Jolie told UK’s new House of Lords Committee on Sexual Violence in War.
She said that more political commitment is required to tackle sexual violence in conflicts around the world.
“The most important thing is to understand what it’s not: it’s not sexual, it’s a violent, brutal, terrorising weapon and it is used unfortunately, everywhere,” the 40-year-old UN special envoy said during her submission yesterday.
“The most aggressive terrorist group in the world today knows what we know; that it is a very effective weapon and (is) using it as a centrepoint of their terror and their way of destroying communities and families and attacking, destroying and dehumanising,” she said.
Former UK foreign secretary William Hague, who had launched the “Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative” alongside Jolie three years ago, told the committee the use of rape in war should “shame all men”.
The pair were appearing before House of Lords to update it on the progress made since 2012.
“Tackling this is part of foreign policy because if it is true that these crimes are committed to make peace more difficult to achieve,” Hague said.