By Benite Cishugi, Democratic Republic of Congo

In relation to the recent UN report revealing a 25% increase in conflict-related sexual violence, it is alarming. Behind these figures are thousands of shattered lives – women, girls, and sometimes men silenced in contexts where human dignity should be safeguarded above all.

It is crucial to remember that sexual violence in conflict is not “collateral damage” but a grave crime that demands justice and redress. As young people and thought leaders, we have the responsibility to keep this issue in the public space, to advocate for the protection of survivors, and to demand accountability from perpetrators.

True peace cannot be built as long as the bodies of women and girls remain battlefields.

Dear leaders, let us stand up to denounce all this.

2025 I AM NALA Fellow

Reference: https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/