Geneva seminar draws attention to the challenges faced by Kashmiri women amid continuing conflict.
Geneva: A seminar in Geneva spotlighted the severe impact of the Kashmir conflict on women, revealing the extensive suffering caused by Indian state terrorism.
Hosted by the International Muslim Women’s Union in collaboration with the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), AHRAAM, and other organizations, the seminar, titled “Women in Conflicts,” featured a distinguished panel of human rights activists, academics, and international law experts. Among them were Ms. Shamim Shawl, Ms. Caroline Handschin Moussir, Barrister Margaret Owen, Ms. Wendi Momen, Ms. Zarin Hansworth, Ms. Settla Harris, Ms. Hadia Sartaj, Ms. Naila Altaf Kanynie, and others.
The speakers highlighted the severe vulnerability of Kashmiri women, who have faced significant physical and psychological trauma due to the ongoing conflict. They called on global human rights organizations to urgently intervene to end the cycle of violence and mistreatment perpetrated by Indian forces against Kashmiri women.
The discussion brought attention to the ongoing trauma experienced by women in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, citing numerous harrowing incidents of mass rape, including the notorious Kunan-Poshpora case. Despite more than 32 years having passed since the incident, the victims of Kunan-Poshpora have yet to see justice. The speakers criticized the Indian government and local authorities for attempting to cover up the case and closing it in October 1991 under pressure from the Indian army.
The seminar condemned the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war by Indian forces and criticized the Indian judiciary for its failure to hold perpetrators accountable. The Indian government’s efforts to suppress the Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination through brutal measures were also denounced.
“It is ironic that a nation that presents itself as progressive resorts to rape as a weapon of war,” the speakers remarked, noting that despite numerous reports of rape and harassment, no Indian military personnel have been held responsible for these crimes.
The seminar concluded with a call to the international community to address the situation in Kashmir urgently, hold the Indian government accountable for ongoing crimes, and ensure justice for the victims. The speakers stressed the need for sustained international vigilance over the situation in Kashmir, where violence and human rights abuses by Indian forces continue unabated.
