Ep 1. I Came to Testify

In the first episode of Women, War & Peace, titled "I Came to Testify," the audience is introduced to a group of courageous women who fought for justice and helped establish a precedent for prosecuting rape as a war crime.

The episode begins with journalist Anne-Marie Slaughter interviewing various women who were raped during the Bosnian War, which took place from 1992 until 1995. These women came forward to testify against their assailants at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICTY was established to prosecute those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed during the war.

Through their testimonies, the women recount the atrocities they faced at the hands of Bosnian Serb forces, including gang-rape, torture, and systematic sexual enslavement. These women were often kept in detention camps where they were repeatedly raped and subject to physical abuse. One woman, known only as "K," describes how she was forced to watch as soldiers killed her husband and brother-in-law before being taken captive and forced to become a sex slave.

Despite the horrific trauma they endured, these women brave the risks to testify in front of the court in hopes of achieving justice. Their testimonies marked the first time rape was prosecuted as a war crime at the international level. This groundbreaking case helped establish rape as a weapon of war, acknowledging the devastating impact it has on survivors and on society as a whole.

"I Came to Testify" also introduces the legal teams that took on these cases and supported the brave survivors. Amongst them is Donna McKay, a lawyer who helped many of the women prepare their testimony and tirelessly worked to hold their perpetrators accountable. Throughout the episode, we see her dedication to these survivors and her efforts to bring their stories to light.

The episode also explores the challenges that the legal teams faced, including a lack of adequate resources and the difficulty of protecting their clients' identities. There were also cultural barriers to be navigated, particularly in the conservative culture of Bosnia where survivors of sexual violence were often stigmatized and ostracized from their communities. Despite these obstacles, the legal teams persevered, and the survivors' testimonies were a crucial step towards achieving justice for the victims of sexual violence in times of war.

Overall, "I Came to Testify" is a powerful and emotional episode that sheds light on the devastating impact of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and the incredible resilience of these brave women who stood up for justice. It is a reminder of the importance of ensuring accountability for war crimes, and the critical role that survivors' voices play in achieving this goal.