Actress and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie, who also works as a special envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and is an active campaigner against sexual abuse and violence, gave a speech on Tuesday, September 8, stating that the Islamic State was using rape as their weapon for war.
There were thousands of abducted women and young girls, they were raped and sold into sexual slavery by the Islamic State from the time that the militant group has declared their rules across Syria and Iraq last summer.
"The most aggressive terrorist group in the world today is using rape as a centerpoint of their terror and their way of destroying communities and families," Jolie said in her statement.
Angelina Jolie, who joined forces with former secretary William Hague for about three years ago to create an initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict, has openly talked about the girls she met in the war zones who were raped.
She said that a 13-year old girl from Iraq was repeatedly raped along with her friends after she was sold for only 26 pounds or equivalent to $40.
"This is beyond something we have seen before. They are saying, 'You should do this, this is the way to build a society we ask you to rape," Jolie said. "We really have to have a very strong response at this time to this particular group."
Jolie and Hague pledged to hunt those responsible and give the justice and safety that every victim deserves to have. Adding to this, the declaration is part of their campaign against sexual violence in wars and it has been reportedly participated by more than 150 nations.
While Jolie and Hague have received questions regarding the success of their initiative campaign, Hague stood up to defend and said the progress of their campaign was made and it was also able to increase the awareness of highly needing to discuss such sexual crimes.
"These are crimes that are committed almost exclusively by men and that they happen, and have happened, for many years and go unchallenged should shame all men. Men and male world leaders have a crucial role to play in tackling this issue," he said.
Jolie and Hague's collaboration began back in 2011 during her debut for the 'In the Land Blood and Honey' where she fought against the aftermath conditions of the 1992-1995 war in Borsnian of which there were 20,000 women reportedly raped and violated.