MONROVIA, March 31(LINA) -An official of the United States Agency For International Development (USAID), John Mark Winfield, has urged community leaders to identify ways to stop rape in their communities.

Winfield, who is Mission Director of USAID, said stopping rape can be done when the communities stand up and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions through the court system, and not through family settlement.

Winfield made the call Tuesday at a one-day National Stakeholders Dialogue on Rape held at a local hotel in Monrovia.
 
The dialogue was convened on the theme: “Rape as a Threat to the Survival of Women and the Advancement of a Nation.”

“You can follow up with victims and their families to make sure that they are feeling safe and supported,” Winfield urged

He called on religious leaders to preach about peace and non-violence in their various places of worship and warn their congregations against rape and other types of sexual-based violence.

“You can work with the local authorities and community health workers about devising a plan to report instances of rape,” the USAID official emphasized.

He told the gathering that USAID believes in the power of the Liberian community organizations to fix problems and advance positive change in their areas.
LINA