2018 Humanitarian Policy Forum Presentation and Visit to the War and Women's Human Rights Museum

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December 3rd, 2018, KCOC and KOICA held 2018 Humanitarian Policy Forum - Humanitarian Asistance and Gender Violence in Conflict and Vulnerable Situations, to seek for comprehending key issues and systems of international community on preventing and resolving the Gender Based Violence in humanitarian crisis, reflect on Rohingya refugee crisis to find outcomes and challenges, and find how experience and lessons of Korean women’s movements responding to Conflict Related Sexual Violence(CRSV) can contribute to the international society.

In Session 3. Experiences and Lessons from International Solidarity Activities of Korean Civil Society for Resolving Sexual Violence in Conflict, Yoon Meehyang, the representative from the Korean Council, presented the history of the movement for resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue and the Butterfly Fund that sprang from the courage and compassion of halmonis. Through the presentation, the Korean Council shared that the movement for resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue accompanied the process in which halmonis overcame their identity as victims and became women’s human rights activists.

Ms. Acan Sylvia, the representative from the Golden Women Vision in Uganda that is supported by the Butterfly Fund, introduced the activities to support survivors of sexual violence in conflict in Uganda and shared insights as an activist working directly with survivors.

Ms. Acan Sylvia offered special pouches that the survivors made to the Korean Council after the forum as well.

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December 4th, the speakers at the forum visited the War and Women’s Human Rights Museum. Simon Opolot, the senior advisor at the ISCG GenCap, Saba Zariv, former GBV sub sector coordinator at UNFPA Cox’s bazar office,  Razia Sultana, the representative from the Rohingya Women Welfare Society, and Acan Sylvia from the Golden Women Vision looked around the museum and met with the director of the museum.

Speakers learned about the Japanese military sexual slavery issue and the movement to resolve it, and discussed ways to connect the issue to their own works and movements. One of the speakers showed tears, sharing that halmonies’ stories and the stories of the survivors that she works with overlap… The fact that rape is still used as a tactic of war upset not only her but also everyone, as activists work directly with the survivors and their trauma. We all shared that sincere solidarity is required to connect the painful experiences that victims/survivors courageously shared to the movement to prevent further violence.