Individuals at Risk

Liberia experienced a devastating civil war from 1989 to 1997 and again from 1999 to 2003. During this conflict, women made up 30-40 percent of the fighting forces, while women generally make up 15-20 percent of fighting forces globally. As soldiers, many of these women faced repeated rape and demoralizing forms of violence. With record numbers of women fighting in this conflict, the UN-sponsored Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DDRR) failed to reach many former female fighters.

Next week, Amnesty International is bringing the film "Women of Liberia: Fighting for Peace," directed by two-time Academy Award-winner Jonathan Stack, to Washington, D.C. for a free screening at E Street Cinema Tuesday, July 29 at 7 pm. The film follows Liberian women who are ex-child soldiers, detailing the different struggles they face in the disarmament process.  

Along with the film, Amnesty is hosting three of the women featured in the documentary, and they will be on-hand at the screening to answer questions and to discuss their experiences. Director Jonathan Stack will be at the screening as well to answer questions.

One of the goals of bringing this documentary and these women to the U.S. is to encourage the passage of legislation entitled the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA).  Introduced last year, IVAWA would help to combat the struggles faced by women in conflict zones. It would enhance the capacity of the US government to develop emergency measures to respond to mass rape, including efforts to provide direct services to victims and hold perpetrators accountable, addressing many issues the DDRR process neglected.

Although UN-sponsored DDRR programs in Liberia did a better job of assisting females formerly associated with the fighting forces than other DDRR programs in other countries, women and girls still experienced significant difficulties in accessing and fully benefiting from the programs compared to men and boys.  As a result, thousands of women and girls that should have benefited did not.  Many other women and girls that did participate dropped out for reasons such as the shame and stigma of being associated, limited child care, and sexual exploitation in schools. Programs designed in post-war periods to help societies recover from conflict need to recognize and address women's unique needs.

For more information on the screening and on the status of Liberian women, visit www.amnestyusa.org/womenofliberia.

Contact Chelsea Toy at uaintern@aiusa.org for any questions.