Save Darfur Coalition is honoring Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) as part of an initiative associated with the internationally-observed “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.”  For each of the 16 days, the coalition’s unique campaign will honor leaders in the fight to empower, protect and uplift women in Sudan and offer a corresponding action for activists. The international movement is observed between November 25, 2009 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) and December 10, 2009 (International Human Rights Day).

 This past spring, the Senators presided over a joint hearing on the Subcommittee for Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women’s Issues titled, “Confronting Rape and other Forms of Violence Against Women in Conflict Zones Spotlight: DRC and Sudan.”  Following the hearings, Boxer composed a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting U.S. government action to prevent sexual violence in Congo and Sudan and provide services to survivors.
 
Both Senators have advocated extensively for Darfur, including co-sponsorship of multiple pieces of legislation.  Senator Boxer was involved in the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007, a resolution on Civilian Protection in 2006, and the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act in 2007.  In 2008, she also co-sponsored a resolution calling for the implementation of the signed peace agreements in Darfur and for the deployment of AU and UN forces. Sen. Boxer voted in favor of the Genocide Accountability Act, which now allows the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute those accused of committing genocide overseas.
 
Senator Feingold is the chairman of the Subcommittee for African Affairs and was the first Senator to speak about the conflict in Darfur on the Senate floor in 2004 when he recommended that President Bush appoint a Special Envoy to the region.  In 2006, Feingold joined activists in marking a “Global Day for Darfur” to urge action by the U.S. and the international community on the conflict.
 
“Senators Barbara Boxer Russ Feingold are Congressional models of activism for Darfur and Sudanese women,” said Niemat Ahmadi a genocide survivor and liaison to the Darfuri diaspora community at the Save Darfur Coalition. “Because of their significant efforts both within and outside of the government, the Senators have drawn attention to issues often overlooked by their colleagues.”

The Save Darfur Coalition is asking that activists observe the 11th day of the campaign by contacting their Senators about the conflict in Sudan and the sexual violence that Darfuri women experience every day, and recommend actions the Senators can take to address these problems. The global campaign started in 1991 at the Center for Global Women’s Leadership at Rutgers University, and is observed by thousands of organizations across the globe. The Save Darfur Coalition is raising awareness by honoring 16 trail-blazing individuals or groups who are fighting to end sexual violence in Darfur, and helping to educate their communities about the ongoing suffering in Sudan.  

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To learn more about Save Darfur Coalition’s acknowledgement of Senator Boxer’s and Senator Feingold’s leadership, please visit: http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/day-11.
http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/day-11.