New York State Bar Association Presidential Summit Tackles Issues of Sexual Violence and Kinocide During Wartime
1.9.2025
Wartime sexual violence and human trafficking is the central issue in the New York State Bar Association’s Presidential Summit Jan. 15 at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City.
The summit, entitled “Securing Justice: Addressing Sexual Violence and the Weaponization of Individuals and Groups During Conflicts and Wars,” features Cochav Elkayam-Levy, international human rights law expert.
She is the founder and chair of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children and joined us with a preview of her work. She spoke with Jennifer Andrus, a content and communications specialist at the New York State Bar Association. Here is their conversation.
The Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes Against Women and Children was founded to document, research and raise international awareness of the war crimes and gender-based violence committed by Hamas and their collaborators against women, children and families during their brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7th. Led by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the commission documents, researches, and advocates for victims, giving them a voice and challenging the denial of these atrocities. Its archive serves both as a memorial and a vital historical record.
The other panelists at the summit include:
- Susana SáCouto, director of the War Crimes Research Office of the American University Washington College of Law, which promotes the development and enforcement of international criminal law and international humanitarian law.
- Abid Shamdeen, advocate for Yazidi genocide survivors and co-founder of Nadia’s Initiative, a nonprofit organization committed to both rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating for justice for survivors of sexual violence on a global scale.
Susan Harper, treasurer of the New York State Bar Association, will moderate the discussion.
To learn more about Dr. Elkayam-Levy’s work, visit: www.dvora-institute.org
For more information about the report mentioned in the conversation, visit: www.dvora-institute.org/cco7-1-1
