UN Secretary-General congratulates winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize

UN chief Antonio Guterres congratulated Nadia Murad and Doctor Denis Mukwege on being awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize adding that the award also belonged to the “countless” victims of sexual violence around the world “who have too often been stigmatized, hidden and forgotten.”
Speaking to reporters in New York today (05 Oct), Guterres said Nadia Murad “gave voice to unspeakable abuse in Iraq when the violent extremists of Daesh brutally targeted the Yazidi people, especially women and girls.” He said Murad, a victim of sexual violence herself, has pursued support for victims of human trafficking and sexual slavery and justice for perpetrators. He added, “Her powerful advocacy has touched people across the world and helped to establish a vitally important United Nations investigation of the harrowing crimes that she and so many others endured.”
The UN chief recognized Doctor Denis Mukwege as a “fearless champion for the rights of women caught up in armed conflict who have suffered rape, exploitation and other horrific abuses.” He said Mukwege’s Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a “a haven from mistreatment” adding that the Congolese doctor has “not only repaired shattered bodies but restored dignity and hope.”
Guterres stressed that the award is “part of a growing movement to recognize the violence and injustice disproportionately faced by half our population.” He said, “Let us honour these new Nobel laureates by standing up for victims of sexual violence everywhere.”
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