SGBV Human Rights

Terrorism and extremism are real threats, and violations of women’s rights, as well as sexual violence against women, are intrinsically linked with the strategic objectives and ideologies of extremist groups. United Nations-led investigations have uncovered the use of sexual and gender-based crimes by Da’esh and Boko Haram as tactics of those terrorist and extremist groups. We have all seen the widespread targeting of women and girls in conflict zones, which represents a fundamental push-back against women’s rights.

The United Arab Emirates is also committed to combating extremism through the Sawab Centre, an online messaging and engagement programme, developed in partnership with the United States, in support of the Global Coalition against Da’esh. Sawab uses direct online engagement to counter terrorist propaganda rapidly and effectively, including the messages used to recruit foreign fighters, raise funds for illicit activities and intimidate and terrorize local populations. In November 2015, Sawab launched a campaign entitled “Da’esh denies her dignity” to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The campaign told the stories of five women who escaped Da’esh through video testimonials and visual depictions of their treatment. Two of those women are Yazidi and describe how they were treated as less than human, beaten, and sold in slave markets over and over again.