Salazar demands investigation into slow response by UN Women to denounce Hamas attacks

U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) wants the United Nations to investigate why it took the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) more than 50 days to acknowledge Hamas’ sexual violence against women and girls during its attack against Israel.

“This delayed response not only undermines principles of international justice and human rights, it also erodes the credibility of UN Women as a leading advocate for the advancement of women’s rights,” wrote Rep. Salazar and U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) in a Jan. 19 letter sent to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, committed murder and torture, including sexual assault, rape, and genital mutilation, in deliberate and targeted acts that were confirmed through the testimony of first responders, eyewitness accounts, and forensic evidence, according to the members’ letter.

However, UN Women, the UN entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, took almost two months to condemn these crimes despite credible evidence of their existence, the lawmakers wrote, calling the delayed action “egregiously late, weak, and tepid.”

“We cannot fathom why an organization that exists for the sole purpose of defending and promoting women’s rights would hesitate for even a moment to condemn the use of rape as a weapon of terror. There is no excuse,” Rep. Salazar and her colleague wrote. “Sexual violence is a recognized war crime and must always be condemned.” 

They urged Guterres to investigate the failures of UN Women to condemn the attacks and take remedial action to ensure that in the future all acts of sexual violence in armed conflicts are quickly condemned.

“We are disappointed and disgusted that such a request needs to be made and we implore you to take immediate and decisive action to address UN Women’s glaring failure to unequivocally condemn these appalling crimes against humanity,” wrote the lawmakers.