Amnesty International (Irvine Chapter) and Orange County for Darfur invite you to join us for the screening of a film, "Reclaiming Dignity" which tells the personal stories of women and girls who have survived widespread rape and violence in Darfur. Bravely, these women are speaking out. Together, we can raise the profile of this issue and, with one voice, fight the ongoing violence against women in Darfur.
Growing up in a small town in North Darfur, Niemat Ahmadi's eldest aunt was the decision maker in her family - above even her father. It was a position of utmost respect. But today's Darfuri women are under attack. In this much-changed landscape, Niemat carried a twelve-year-old Darfuri girl, bleeding from a sexual assault by seven men, to a hospital where her treatment was blocked by police officers.
Afterwards, we will tune in to the live online panel discussion with Maria Bello, Niemat Ahmadi, Dr. Kelly Dawn Askin, John Hefferan and Reverend Gloria E. White-Hammond, M.D.
Watch a clip from "Reclaiming Dignity"
Fact sheet
Rape and other forms of sexual violence are used as a weapon of war by Sudanese government forces and their proxy militia, the janjaweed.
Rape is part of a systematic campaign designed by the government as a tool of intimidation and terror, to break down social structures.
Women and girls are purposefully kept alive following systematic rape, often left with deep wounds to mark their violation, and returned to their communities to struggle with the physical, psychological, and social implications of the violence.
Women and girls living in displaced persons camps remain at risk for sexual assault. Women are targeted, harassed, and raped when they leave the camps, both by the Sudanese police and military and janjaweed militiamen.
There has been an increase in sexual violence and opportunistic rape by armed and civilian actors in and around the camps. This increase is attributable to the overall breakdown in security and is a consequence of the genocide.
Click here to read the complete fact sheet from savedarfur.org.
Contact
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Or call us at (949) 235-6200.
