Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Friday made Hollywood star Angelina
Jolie an honorary dame for her campaign to end the scourge of sexual
violence in war zones.
In a ceremony at
Buckingham Palace, Jolie was presented with the Insignia of an Honorary
Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St.
George.
Jolie, 39, is a special
envoy to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and she co-founded the
Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative with former British Foreign
Secretary William Hague.
"It is a myth that rape is an inevitable part of conflict," Jolie said in June during the London opening
of the biggest summit of its kind aimed at ending sexual violence in
conflict. "There's nothing inevitable about it. It is a weapon of war
aimed at civilians. It has nothing to do with sex, everything to do with
power."
The Global Summit to End
Sexual Violence in Conflict, hosted by the UK government, brought
together representatives of more than 100 countries, as well as hundreds
more experts, survivors, faith leaders, and staffers from NGOs and
international organizations.
According to UNICEF, the
United Nations children's agency, more than 150 million young girls and
73 million boys experience sexual violence every year, and children in
conflict-affected countries are the most vulnerable.
Few perpetrators are ever prosecuted or convicted.
Culled from CNN.
