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Honorata Barinjibanwa
was just 18 years old when she was kidnapped from
her village in the Democratic Republic of Congo
by Rwandan outlaw fighters last April. She spent
five long months tied to a tree - her captors
untied her only to gang rape her. She survived
to tell her story, but remains deeply wounded
by the attacks.
Rape is a weapon of war in so
many countries around the world, including the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia and Sudan.
And one thing is clear - the problem of violence
against women vastly exceeds the resources currently
devoted to stopping it.
Through our Stop Violence Against
Women campaign (http://www.amnestyusa.org/violence-against-women/stop-violence-against-women-svaw/page.do?id=1108417&n1=3&n2=39&n3=1101),
Amnesty International is leading an effort to
end this systematic violation of women's basic
human rights. But we have a long road ahead of
us to ensure that our work brings real changes
for women.
Despite overwhelming barriers,
none of this is inevitable or irreversible. Your
gift today can bring urgently needed funds to
Amnesty's grassroots efforts to end the most brutal
forms of violence against women in more than 36
countries around the world.
Amnesty and its coalition partners
were the driving force behind the International
Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) introduced
in Congress last October. This bill would authorize
nearly $700 million for local programs and services
to help end the most brutal forms of violence
against women, including honor killings, bride
burnings, genital mutilation, mass rapes in war
and domestic violence. Its passage is a critical
first step in improving the lives of millions
of women and girls around the world - women just
like Honorata Barinjibanwa.
Please join me today in honoring
our mothers, sisters and daughters by making a
tax-deductible gift to support Amnesty's Stop
Violence Against Women campaign Together, we can
put an end to the horrors women face every day
around the world.
This Mother's Day, honor the
mothers, sisters and daughters in your life by
making a gift
to our Stop Violence Against Women campaign.
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=hsJSK5ONIjLQJbJ&s=emIWLcNRKjK2JdO0JzH&m=lsJ
ZK7MNLiJYE
Thank you for your continued
commitment to advancing the human rights of women
and girls worldwide.
Sincerely,
Irene Khan
Amnesty International Secretary General
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