Nobel Peace Prize honors the fight against sexual violence as a weapon of war

Barcelona, 5 October 2018. – The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize to Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist who has treated thousands of women affected by sexual violence in Congo, and to Nadia Murad, an activist and a victim of sexual abuse perpetrated by ISIS, for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.
It is an exemplary recognition that highlights the great scourge of sexual violence and places a serious human rights violation, which for years has been absent from the analysis of armed conflict, at the forefront of public debate. In the words of ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer, the award also “recognizes the efforts, work and sacrifice of civil society actors in countries undergoing conflict and extremely serious situations.”
This Nobel Peace Prize is evidence that the world is becoming aware of the existence and the seriousness of sexual violence as a war crime against women and, at the same time, it is evidence of the need to work towards its eradication through institutions, at both a national and international level.
ICIP has delved into the issue of sexual violence as a weapon of war through the publication of books and reports, and the ICIP Library has an extensive collection on this subject. In fact, Jo seré l’última (“The Last Girl”), by Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, is among the titles available to library users. The ICIP Library, specializing in peace, conflict, security and human rights, is located at Tapineria 10, 1st floor, in Barcelona.