Angelina Jolie speaks on sexual violence at AU summit

Portia Arthur

June 12, 2015 6:04 PM

Angelina Jolie said rape as a weapon of warfare at an African Union summit in South Africa today

Angelina Jolie

Hollywood star and United Nations special envoy on refugee issues, Angelina Jolie has tasked African representatives to support women’s rights.

“Progress is slow, it is uneven, it is fragile and in some parts of the world it is being erased. Think what it would mean if the 54 nations of the African Union press as one toward full rights and opportunities for women, not just for this great continent but for the world, she said.

Angelina Jolie shared a panel with the African Union Commission Chairwoman,Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former British Foreign Secretary, William Hague ,Senegalese activist, Bineta Diop and Zainab Bangura, the U.N.'s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Jolie said,''There is a global epidemic of violence against women, both within conflict zones and within societies at peace and it is still treated as a lesser crime and lower priority". She paid tribute to African victims for their 'extraordinary resilience, dignity and strength in the face of trials that would break any of us.

The "Maleficent" actress was pictured in a dark tweed Michael Kors dress and nude heels and her dark locks tied in a smart ponytail.

Portia Arthur