Many formerly abducted women and girls still suffer from the devastating cons...

Many formerly abducted women and girls still suffer from the devastating consequences of their period of sexual slavery, and a high number of them have given birth to children in captivity. That has impacted severely on the mental and physical health of survivors, in both the short and the long term. However, while the spotlight has focused on the situation in the African Great Lakes region, all forms of sexual violence have been and continue to be documented in situations of armed conflict the world over. Indeed, we agree with the Secretary-General, who has stated in his report that sexual violence is not specific to any era, culture or continent, but traverses all of history and geography.