WIZO Holds UN Congress Discussion on Hamas Sexual Violence Crimes
Three years after the October 7th Hamas attacks, WIZO World Union convened an international discussion on prosecuting perpetrators of sexual violence during wartime. The event, held on September 30th in Abu Dhabi as part of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, focused on the challenges of transforming testimonies into admissible court evidence.
Participants explored methods for documenting and preserving evidence, addressing the spread of misinformation online, combating denial, and leveraging artificial intelligence to protect victims' privacy and dignity while recording their accounts. The discussion also featured insights from Ukraine's experience in investigating wartime sexual violence.
Key figures at the forum included Sharon Zagagi-Pinchas, co-founder of the Dina Project, former military prosecutor Nava Ben-Or, and AI expert Shiran Melmadovska-Somech, who presented her project 'Hearing Their Voices.' The event was initiated by Dr. Chava Bogayer-Gleitman, WIZO's UN representative in Vienna, and included WIZO leaders from various countries and a representative from the World Jewish Congress.
WIZO, a Zionist organization with consultative status at the UN since 1959, aims to bring attention to the October 7th atrocities on international platforms. This Abu Dhabi discussion follows a similar event held in New York in March. WIZO President Anat Vidor emphasized the organization's use of its global network and UN status for 'alternative diplomacy' to achieve justice.
