These acts constituted crimes against humanity.
Yet for months, the global response from influential international institutions charged with protecting women’s rights and condemning sexual violence was marked by silence.
In response, Hadassah launched the #EndTheSilence global campaign—an international effort to demand moral clarity, accountability, and action.
Why #EndTheSilence Was Necessary
Sexual violence must never be used as a weapon of war.
Not in Israel. Not anywhere.
The atrocities of October 7 were among the most documented acts of terror in recent history. Sexual violence was not incidental—it was integral to the machinery of terror that carried out these attacks.
Despite irrefutable evidence, key international organizations failed to speak out or act decisively for nearly five months. This silence risked normalizing the use of rape as a tactic of war and undermining decades of global efforts to combat sexual violence in conflict.
A Global Movement
Outraged by this inaction, women and men across the world mobilized. What began as a call for recognition rapidly became a coordinated global campaign with Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America.
Through Hadassah platforms and partner networks, supporters signed a petition addressed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, demanding that the UN publicly condemn these crimes and pursue accountability for the perpetrators.
The campaign mobilized:
- Over 130,000 individuals
- Nearly 120 major organizations
- Supporters in 118 countries worldwide
Together, these voices sent a clear message: silence is not neutrality—it is complicity.
Global Action, Local Leadership
In conjunction with International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024), Hadassah supporters organized coordinated actions in 18 countries, reflecting both global solidarity and local leadership.
Activities included:
- Public marches and demonstrations
- Community events and educational forums
- Professional discussions and policy-level engagement
Women painted their shoes red and marched in cities including Paris, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Montevideo, São Paulo, Rome, Mexico City, Panama City, Auckland, and many others.
In Israel, participants wore #EndTheSilence shirts while running the Jerusalem Marathon.
In Germany, Hadassah participated in a roundtable discussion at the Bundestag.
In Trinidad, supporters marched outside UN buildings.
In Brazil, delegations met directly with local UN representatives.
Across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and beyond, hundreds of community events amplified the campaign’s message.
Engagement at the United Nations
A Hadassah delegation attended the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations in New York.
Delegates:
- Participated in official and parallel sessions
- Spoke out during a UN Town Hall attended by 600 international women
- Hosted a reception at the UN to protest the institutional silence
During the Commission, Hadassah leaders raised concerns directly with senior UN officials, including H.E. Pramila Patten, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, emphasizing that justice delayed is justice denied.
The signatures on the petition have come from Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Guernsey, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Polynesia, Portugal, Republic of South Africa, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, The Bahamas, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, United States of America, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
