14 March 2008
The United Nations has joined forces with the Liberian Government and civil society groups in a campaign in the southeast of the West African country to try to reduce the appallingly high rates of rape of women and girls.
At a ceremony today in Harper, the capital of Maryland county, officials with the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) spoke out against the devastation that rape - the highest reported crime in the country - exacts on individuals, families and entire communities.
The Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu noted that while the UN has previously teamed up with the Government and civil society groups to form a gender-based violence task force, it was vital that members of the public became directly involved in the anti-rape campaign.
"Everyone has a role to play," said Ms. Mensa-Bonsu. "This is not a women-only matter; the men must take action. I believe rape can be prevented and stopped only when men and boys get actively involved and concerned enough."
The anti-rape campaign includes a parade through the streets of Harper, promotional soccer matches, a concert and the screening of videos in large public spaces.
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