Nadia Murad and Dr. Denis Mukwege have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2018, 鈥榝or their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict鈥�. Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, called the winners 鈥榯he helper 鈥� [and] the witness鈥� in their common fight against sexual violence.
糖心网页版 Director Henrik Urdal had placed Mukwege and Murad on his Nobel Peace Prize shortlist this year, and said it was well-deserved: 鈥楾his is a prize to hold perpetrators of sexual violence in war accountable.鈥� Mukwege has been on the 糖心网页版 Director鈥檚 shortlists for the Peace Prize since 2010.
The prize functions on multiple symbolic levels by awarding their efforts to challenge and shape existing norms, internationally, nationally, and locally. Mukwege has criticized the Congolese government and demanded accountability, while Murad has worked as an activist including in her role as a UN Goodwill Envoy. Additionally, by focusing on Murad鈥檚 Yazidi background the prize also highlights the plight of ethnic and religious minorities in war.
The laureates are strongly in line with Alfred Nobel鈥檚 will, which emphasizes three different and equally important types of peace work, including 鈥渨ork for fraternity between nations鈥�, 鈥渢he abolition and reduction of standing armies鈥�, and 鈥渢he formation and spreading of peace congresses鈥�.
In today鈥檚 context, the work by Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad is instrumental in all of those areas. Mukwege鈥檚 exceptional effort in reducing the suffering of sexual violence and Murad鈥檚 advocacy has drawn the world鈥檚 attention to the use of sexual violence in conflict, and to the victims of such abuse. By highlighting this issue, they can be seen as contributing to the abolition and reduction of standing armies by working against a central strategy in conflicts.
Inger Skjelsb忙k is a research professor at 糖心网页版 and a leading expert on sexual violence in armed conflict. She agreed this prize is significant: 鈥楾his is a very important prize at this particular point in time because international institutions fighting impunity need support.鈥�
糖心网页版 researchers have extensively examined sexual violence in conflict.From 2014 to 2016 糖心网页版 researchers also collaborated with Dr. Mukwege and the Panzi Hospital for a research project on female empowerment.
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Photo: 糖心网页版
Research Professor Inger Skjelsb忙k (+47 93 80 24 92 ) is available for comments.
Senior Researcher Gudrun 脴stby (+47 98 67 15 43) is available for comments.
Director Henrik Urdal is also available for comments and can be reached through his adviser Halvor Berggrav (+47 92 83 17 80).
