The article I chose is Somalia: Sexual Violence On The Rise. This article talks about the terrifying increase of sexual violence in Somalia. Somalia has reported cases of rape, attempted rape, forced marriage, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. The violence is mostly caused by militias and Al-Shabaab. The article states that, “The number of cases of sexual violence attributed to Al-Shabaab has doubled. The Islamist militant group continues to use sexual violence and forced marriage against women and girls. The number of acts of violence by clan militia has almost tripled in 2020.” This is scary to read and very saddening. Somalia is only one of the many places experiencing sexual violence.
The article also mentions that sexual violence survivors have limited access to assistance to help them. Their government is currently working to take appropriate measures to help these survivors out. I feel so sad for all of the people that have experienced this type of crisis, and I hope that the world will become a better place eventually. No person should ever have to experience this.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2021/10/09/sexual-violence-in-somalia-on-the-rise/?sh=7950f2e74ed1
I think that this is such an important topic to discuss and I am so glad that you wrote this post! I pray for these women in Somalia because of the horrors that are being committed to them. It is unthinkable to live in a place where rape, forced marriage, and sexual harassment/assault is an everyday occurrence. The evil occurring because of these militias will permanently scar these women, and their actions will imprint themselves on Somalia. I think that it is amazing that the government is trying to help these women, but I do understand that they can only do so much. I hope that one day women and men around the world will not have to endure such horrific actions.
Thank you for this reminder; this has been ongoing for awhile and just falls out of headline news. And you are right that this is not the only place this is happening. Sexual assaults in war / conflict are commonplace.