LOS ANGELES, California – Angelina Jolie initiates awareness on the global issue of violence against women. The actress stated that these days, it is more dangerous to be a woman in a warzone than to be a soldier. Jolie joined forces with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in leading a global movement.
In an opposite editorial page (op-ed) that was co-written by the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for the newspaper “The Guardian,” the actress stated how partnering with NATO can be a global leader in ceasing violence against women, especially military violence.
Angelina Jolie states that military tactics are still going on in war-torn countries such as Myanmar, Ukraine, Syria, and Somalia despite forbidden by international laws. Tactics include gang rape, mass rape, and rape in form of torture, sexual slavery, terrorism, and ethnic cleansing. Due to these reports, it is more dangerous being a woman in war-stricken areas than to be a soldier.
Additionally, she stated that people have seen many conflicts and issues arise regarding women’s rights and bodies that are being abused for a longer time which causes deeper wounds that are harder to overcome and resolve. Hence, violence against women is an important issue of world peace, security, and social justice.
The filmmaker states that NATO must be the instrument of guarding the rights of women around the world, which is also in line with the organization’s mission in shielding against aggression and in taking away the fear of such.
The partnership involves the organization in merging women into leadership positions within the management to boost military training in protecting human rights and continue in implementing standard operating procedures and practices.
Also, the partnership asks NATO to give greater recognition to female soldiers and gender advisers in interacting with the society where they can use the data in identifying pattern in the war-stricken sexual violence issues.
Angelina Jolie writes that it’s humanity’s shame where violence against women has been globally regarded as lesser crimes, whether in war areas or peaceful communities. Hence, there’s hope that we can change this pattern and ideology.
Angelina Jolie is known to be an actress and a filmmaker in Hollywood. Jolie is also known to be very supportive in various charities and causes.
These charities are Afghanistan Relief Organization, Alliance For The Lost Boys Of Sudan, Cancer Schmancer Movement, Care to Learn, Cinema For Peace, Clinton Global Initiative, Daniel Pearl Foundation, Direct Change, Doctors Without Borders, Global Action for Children, HALO Trust, Human Rights Watch, Jolie–Pitt Foundation, Kids in Need of Defense, Millennium Promise, Millennium Villages, Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation, Muhammad Ali Center, ONE Campaign, Peace One Day, Reporters Without Borders, Sophie’s Gift, SOS Children’s Villages, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Millennium Project, Vital Voices, Women in the World Foundation, and Yéle Haiti Foundation.
The initiative of Angelina Jolie, an Oscar-award winner actress and filmmaker,in partnering with NATO supplements the Hollywood sexual harassment issues where sexual predators continue to rise, in which Jolie was one of the victims of Harvey Weinstein.
