YouSaid · the spoken record

Nyanjura

lines on the record

5

first

2023-12-07

most recent

2023-12-07

sittings or episodes

1

sources

un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

1. “Survivors must have a seat at the table where decisions are made and policies and programmes are formed. From my own experience, I can attest that having a voice in matters affecting our lives is a critical component of the healing process. In conclusion, let us use today’s discussion as a catalyst for change. Let our collective outrage fuel a commitment to collective action aimed at dismantling the networks of organized crime and eradicating sexual violence from our communities. By standing together, we can ensure that the stories of survivors become beacons of hope, guiding us towards a future where justice prevails and every individual can live free from the shadows of organized crime. I thank members for their attention and for their commitment to this cause.”

   2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source

2. “It is our collective responsibility to break that silence, amplify the voices of survivors and create societies in which no one has to endure the horrors that far too many have faced. Society must recognize what organized criminal organizations take for granted — that our strength lies in solidarity, and our collective action makes it work. That is why it is crucial for Governments, communities, civil society organizations and private corporations to support survivors in their long and painful journey towards reassembling the pieces of their shattered lives. No survivor should ever feel alone. Having worked at different levels to break the silence around the challenges faced by women and children during and after war, my life’s calling has been to seek restorative justice for survivors of war and sexual violence.”

   2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source

3. “As we discuss organized crime today, we should remember that merely condemning these acts is not enough. We must also address the root causes and systematic failures that perpetuate them. Education, awareness and a commitment to dismantling structures that protect the perpetrators of sexual violence are essential steps towards eradicating this scourge. Moreover, survivors must be heard, their accounts of sexual and physical violence must be believed and their local communities must protect them. Additional abuse makes their situations even harder. It is therefore important for communities to protect them from further abuse and support them on their long road to healing. The stigma surrounding sexual violence often silences victims, allowing organized crime to flourish unchecked.”

   2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source

4. “On a rainy night in 2004, at that point with two children whom I had given birth to in captivity, I made the courageous choice to escape or to die trying my luck. Organized crimes with sexual violence at their core are a harsh reality that many like me have had to confront. Such crimes not only strip us of physical autonomy but erode our sense of self-worth and human dignity, leaving deep scars in the fabric of our lives. It is crucial to recognize that sexual violence within the realm of organized crime is not confined to the individual who is violated. It ripples through families, communities and society at large. The trauma endured by survivors is not just personal but a collective community burden that demands a united front against the perpetrators and systems that enable such terrible acts.”

   2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source

5. “Ms. Nyanjura: As I speak to the Council today, I am doing so not as a victim but as a survivor, in a testament to the strength that resides within each of us even in the face of unimaginable adversity. My journey through the darkness of sexual violence began on a night in October back in 1996, when members of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) terrorist group abducted me, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, along with many other young girls from my school. The Lord’s Resistance Army has been described as one of Central Africa’s cruellest and most enduring armed groups of the past 30 years. The abductions of more than 30,000 children for use as child soldiers, sex slaves and human pack-mules have been attributed to the LRA. I endured unspeakable physical and mental abuse, as well as sexual exploitation, during my harrowing eight years in captivity.”

   2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source