OPINION: Global Conflicts Increasing Seuxal Violence and Hindering Education

Global conflicts intensify and new ones are seemingly erupting daily it causes one to look at the civilians, of the majority of which are women and children, who are caught in the crossfire's. Displacement and trauma from the daily terrors of conflict leave irrefutable scars on their victims, however the increasingly violent nature of many modern conflicts and the sexually and gender-based nature of the violence inflicted on civilians during conflict.

According to the 2011 Education for All Global Monitoring Report entitled, The hidden crisis: Armed conflict and education, by UNESCO, sexual violence and attacks on schools in conflict zones is costing 28 million children across the globe to be denied a chance to get an education (as noted in last months post).

“In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo probably about half of all primary school-aged children are out of school… One of the reasons for that is that this has become one of the rape capitals of the world and is having a very profound effect on the education system”, Kevin Watkins, author of the report, told the BBC.

Last month a UN panel published a report recommending a special fund for reparations for tens of thousands of victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The fund would be overseen by the United Nations and Congolese representatives, as well as rape survivors. The aid group Meddcins Sans Frontieres has reported the treatment of more than 200 people after sexual assaults from January to February in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Fizi region alone, where attacks on civilians are a common feature of long-running conflict in the country's east. The use of mass as a systematic weapon in the DRC's ongoing conflict, has now reached a point where aid officials are discovering continual reports of repeated attacks on the same groups of men, women and children (IRIN).

The UNESCO report also noted the failings of global leaders and states to fail to address the concerns of the use of systematic rape warfare. Though a number of governments have passed stronger laws to punish offenders of sex crimes, including the use of rape in armed conflict, the effect of these laws has been minimal. Women and girls continue to be raped and assaulted in mass numbers as impunity continues to reign for the perpetrators. Therefore an end to the perception that rape is a common and unavoidable tactic of war must occur, as well as an increase in efforts to persecute all perpetrators of gender-based violence. UNESCO stated that they would like to see those responsible brought up on charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Sadly two thirds of the world's child population live in one of the 42 countries which is affected by conflict and of the 77 million children not enrolled in school and half are in conflict or post-conflict zones. It is crucial that education is restored in both emergency and post-conflict situations, including displacement camps. Education must be made a crucial part of the agenda in conflict and post-conflict, is to ensure that children, especially girls, are given access to education to promote peace and gender equality. Additionally we must improve both the quality of education world wide and institute diversity, peace and conflict resolution as part of the curriculum. Providing education in conflict and post-conflict also works to build peace by giving children hope. Ways that this is done includes; teaching diversity and multiculturalism, providing essential life and cognitive skills, as well as giving children a sense of normality and an opportunity to interact with children who are from the supposed ‘other side' of the conflict. Schools also can life changing and saving lessons on peace building and conflict resolution, which can lead to a decrease in future violence. Basic education is necessary for all post-conflict communities to ensure for sustainable post-conflict reconstruction.