Sexual violence is systematically being used as a weapon of war in the 21st century, including in the LRA conflict. It’s an issue shrouded in shame and taboo, and it thrives on silence. This week, a conference in London provided a platform for victims and advocates to speak out about the problem.

The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict was the culmination of a two-year campaign spearheaded by Angelina Jolie, actress and UN special envoy, and William Hague, UK Foreign Secretary. It featured inspiring testimonies from women across the world, including victims of LRA abduction and violence. We’re big supporters of this effort for justice; because of the ongoing work, more than 140 countries have committed to taking steps toward ending sexual violence in conflict.

Angelina Jolie and Neema Namadamu from DR Congo embrace at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

20-year-old Esther Atim stepped onstage to share her story. When she was nine years old, the LRA abducted her from Ojone, Uganda. She spent three years with the rebel forces at the Sudan border, enduring repeated rapes and forced labor, and witnessing brutal murders. She managed to escape one night after being violently raped, and she described the struggle to run away, or even to walk.

“There’s not one word to describe something like that,” Jolie said. “She’s an extraordinary woman. She’s so brave.”

Atim currently works with a nongovernmental organization in northern Uganda that assists vulnerable women in the region.

Angela Atim, another speaker, was abducted by the LRA in Uganda at 14 years old. She challenged those in attendance to keep pushing for justice. “These people who are accountable for the sexual violence in armed conflict, they have to be brought to justice. It’s part of our healing because it’s really painful to see that they are still walking around, they are still doing the same thing.”

South Sudan, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are three of the eight most dangerous locations identified in relation to sexual violence in conflict – these are all places where the LRA is currently operating.

The LRA abducts girls and women to be used as sex slaves. See what we’re doing to stop them and fight for the end of violence and injustice.

Photo credits: Lefteris Pitarakis/AFP/Getty Images