Arminka Helic, campaigner against sexual violence in war: Rape is used as part of genocide

“Rape and sexual violence against women and girls, babies, men and boys, is used as a part of ethnic cleansing and genocide.”

We are in a new era where human rights have been replaced by trade and big businesses and they have almost entirely depleted our ability to show humanity to people on the other side.

Lucy Hockings speaks to Baroness Arminka Helic, Member of the House of Lords and campaigner for refugees and victims of war.

A former Bosnian refugee, she saw first hand the legacy of conflict-related sexual violence and the importance of ending impunity for rape and assault committed as a weapon of war. She tells of her warm welcome to the UK in 1992 and wants us always to remember the human beings behind the refugee statistics.

Baroness Helic talks about the progress in raising awareness of the crimes and her own work in launching the ‘Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative’ in 2012. She says that it’s really hard for victims to speak out because of the stigma around rape but when they do, their voices need to be heard and the crimes documented.

She also speaks about the plight of asylum seekers and the use of starvation in conflict zones like Gaza and Sudan. A Conservative peer, she’s keen to take the politics out of immigration and remember our humanity.

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Presenter: Lucy Hockings Producers: Clare Williamson, Farhana Haider Editor: Justine Lang

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(Image: Baroness Arminka Helic. Credit: Roger Harris/House of Lords)