Important Things We Need to Remember from Amal Clooney at the UN

Just a day after the celebration of International Women’s Day, renowned human rights barrister Amal Clooney delivered a powerful speech before the United Nations, condemning the inaction to address grave crimes the Isis committed against the Yazidi community.

Amal Clooney, who earlier served as senior advisor to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan for a UN Commission on Syria, introduced Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman who survived the atrocities of ISIS and is now fighting them as a Goodwill Ambassador.

That would have been another day to show just how strong and powerful women can be in a predominantly patriarchal society. But being in such a society, what many people and the mainstream media focused on instead was her baby bump showing through her yellow Bottega Venetta dress.

So, the people you might call politically correct, feminist, activist, or even just plain respectful of someone who speaks, called out a lot of publications ranging from gossip blogs, tabloids, and even supposedly political magazines.

What the media focused on, yet again, was women’s clothing and fashion sense during the socially-constructed pinnacle of womanhood (i.e., to be a mother) instead of the important critiques, stand, and leadership stance Amal Clooney and Nadia Murad were making.

In an attempt to address what many publications lacked, here are some of the most important points anyone should take away from the powerful speech Amal Clooney delivered to the UN about ISIS.

Failure of UN to Launch Comprehensive Investigation

Representing some victims of the brutality done by the Islamic State, Amal Clooney reprimanded the UN for failing to start an investigation that was comprehensive enough to condemn the mass murders and sex slave industry for which the ISIS is responsible.

Amal Clooney also told the UN body it was shameful to fail in preventing or punishing genocide just because their interests are getting in the way.

ISIS and Its Slave Industry

The Islamic State militia routinely rounds up young women from cities and villages they terrorize so that they can sell slaves in a market they actively support.

Terrorization of Yazidi Communities

Amal Clooney is a representative of some members of the Yazidi community. The Yazidi people make up a religious minority in Iraq, and for the past years were constantly under the target of ISIS jihadists. Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State’s precursor, categorized the Yazidi as infidels, sanctioning the ongoing genocide.

Nadia Murad, Yazidi Goodwill Ambassador

The speech that Amal delivered was an introduction for her client, Nadia Murad who experienced slavery under the ISIS back in 2014. The Islamic State militia either enslaved or executed most of Nadia’s family. Her mother died along with thousands of other victims.

When Nadia successfully escaped her captors, she received the needed medical attention. After which, Nadia Murad continued her fight for the upholding of human rights. Last year, Nadia became a Nobel Peace Prize nominee as well as the first Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.

Takeaway

There are plenty of violations and atrocities going on around us that any solution would require collective action from people. When inspiring women stand up to make a fight against the wrongs in our society, it would be good for everyone if all of us listened and not just noticed the clothes they are wearing.

Author Bio

Stephanie Wheatly is a driven designer who loves to create inspiring pieces of women’s clothing as well as stitch words together that are worth sharing on blog sites. She loves to create venues for an individual’s expression of their style in both their clothes and writing. Now, Steph is creating her name in the fashion industry while working with various international clients. It is when she’s not doing work with customers that she finds the time to pen her thoughts at home.