Angelina Jolie[/caption]Carol Forsloff --Two days ago, British media reported Angelina Jolie speaking out against rape in conflict zones at Whitehall. Rape is rampant in Africa, where violence against women is common and often a form of retribution in tribal conflict. It is also used as a weapon in war. Intrusion into the sanctity of a woman's person is a violent act that occurs every place around the world, and war increases the tension and the problem.
During the centuries of war when conflict occurred, the killings of soldiers was a reality of the violence but so was the rape of women. It remains a part of that manner of one side imposing the greatest form of disgrace on another; and in this case, the victims are women.
In Africa, rape is a serious problem. Not only do women bear the shame of rape but also the diseases that can also occur, such as HIV/AIDS. But women are becoming more and more outspoken and public about the problem.
Amnesty International has an extensive report on the failure of the world to protect indigenous women from the violence of rape. Native American women, for example, suffer high rates of sexual violence in urban areas, especially because they often reside in some of the poor areas and within a male-dominated culture. But for the whole of the world, rape is a widespread problem, often not discussed openly, as it needs to be, according to Amnesty International.
The report of Amnesty International states: "Violence against women is one of the most pervasive human rights abuses. It is also one of the most hidden. It takes place in intimate relationships, within the family, and at the hands of strangers, and it affects women in every country in the world.
Although commonly rape occurs in intimate relationships or where the victim and the perpetrator may be acquainted, the act of the stranger who uses violence to subdue the victim during conflict adds to the fear and tension, and the need for revenge as well. That problem is underlined by Jolie as she enlists the participation of Hollywood celebrities in her crusade against the crime.
It is interesting to learn where rape statistics are highest in the developed countries. France, Germany, Russia, Sweden, and Argentina report the highest numbers, in the top five rankings. The United States, on the other hand, is #57 in the rankings, according to the latest statistics reported in 2009. On the other hand, the United Nations reports the United States as higher in the rankings at #1, but the issue is dependent about the culture of the area in terms of how rape is defined and reported. The UN statistics are also reported before the most recent one of 2009. Furthermore, according to this same report, a rapist is 66 times more likely to be prosecuted in the United States than in France. Rankings are low for Middle Eastern countries, but as one woman points out, in some areas of the world, rape is not reported because if a woman does report it, she is often considered to be lying or to be the instigator of any problem that occurs.
While music addresses social problems in almost every area, few have ventured to explore it in song, as this video does, done to underline the terror of rape and the importance of recognizing the need for society to take more action, especially in those areas where rape is under-reported and where women without resources are captive to the violence that is part of the crime. One way to help, one citizen writes, is for men to take leadership in supporting women and to advance movements to reduce rape in the culture.
