9 August 2007 - The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling on the European Council to meet the commitments it made in May to push through a major increase in efforts to end violence against women across the world.

With United Nations investigator, Yakin Erturk, this month describing the levels of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the worst she has ever seen, the need to step up efforts to halt the violence is clearer than ever.

Thousands of women are beaten or raped every day, especially in countries either at war or recovering from conflict. Violence against women not only has a devastating impact on the survivors themselves, but also on their children and families, severely undermining a whole community's ability to achieve peaceful development.

"As one of the world's largest aid donors, the European Union has a central role to play in making women's lives safer," said Sarah Hughes, Director of the IRC's London office. "Unless the violence is stemmed no amount of aid money will bring peace, justice or development to countries recovering from conflict."

The IRC plays a leading role in tackling violence against women in war-torn areas. Its programmes around the world, in places like Liberia, DR Congo and Thailand, provide support to survivors of violence, train justice officials and community leaders to prosecute perpetrators and monitor courts to make sure cases are treated fairly.

The IRC is petitioning the new EU presidency, headed by Portugal's José Sócrates, to lead the way through targeted aid programmes and by speaking out wherever abuses occur. Supporters are urged to add their voice to the campaign at www.ircuk.org.

Contact For more information, please contact:

• Lydia Gomersall, Media & Communications Advisor, London +44 (0)20 7692 2741; lydia.gomersall@ircuk.org

• Hervé de Baillenx, Director, IRC Belgium +32 2 511 4300; hdebaillenx@theirc.org