International Day against Violence against Women

Today, November 25th, the world commemorates discrimination and violence against women and girls. The Lindauer Stiftung Friedensdialog der Weltreligionen und Zivilgesellschaft, Ring for Peace, is permanently launching very concrete projects to remedy this situation:

Millions of women survive sexual violence every year. In many places, the political and legal infrastructure to identify and hold perpetrators accountable does not exist – but a simple DNA kit can change this.

With a smear test, survivors of sexual assault can secure and store DNA that can be used to convict the perpetrator, even when local medical or law enforcement personnel are unwilling or unable to help. The declared goal of a worldwide campaign by the Religions for Peace movement is to prevent sexual violence by providing a means to hold criminals to account.

If you are interested in a report on the DNA kit, we are happy to offer you the opportunity to talk to the following contact persons:

• Lisa Smith, Professor of Criminology at the University of Leicester has developed the DNA test.
• Barbara Fölscher, author and communication expert in the Cape Community and official representative of Ring for Peace is working to make the DNA test known in South Africa.
• Wangu Kanja, founder of the NGO “Wangu Kanja Foundation” is active as a contact point for victims of sexual violence in Kenya and uses the DNA test in her work.

You can find more information on the project page of the DNA-Kit.

Religions for Peace and Ring for Peace have been hosting a virtual assembly in November 2020 featuring experts working on this project, and other projects to prevent and heal from sexual violence. You find the whole program with all public talks and plenaries here: https://wfd2020.ringforpeace.org/

• Hon. Ela Gandhi, anti-Apartheid activist and former Member of South African Parliament, is an active advocate of this DNA kit.
• Dr. Lilian Sison has led interfaith mental health and trauma healing in post-conflict Philippines as part of Religions for Peace’s “Restoring Dignity” campaign.

Interview with former Afghan Minister of Women's Affairs Sima Samar

In addition, Ring for Peace‘s digital magazine “Transforming Tomorrow” today publishes an interview with Sima Samar, the first minister for women’s affairs after the Taliban’s loss of power in Afghanistan in 2002, online with the title: “I believe that women are one of the main reasons for the survival of mankind“. In it she describes how the situation for many women in Afghanistan has changed fundamentally during her term of office.

If you are interested in viewing the wider-details of Ring for Peace’s efforts to prevent violence against women, please reach out to: presse@ringforpeace.org