SGBV

In Guatemala, a national court prosecuted and convicted people on charges of sexual slavery during armed conflict, a first for a domestic court anywhere. In the past year, the International

Criminal Court secured its first conviction for sexual and gender-based crimes. And in Senegal, the trial of Hissène Habré saw the first conviction of a former Head of State for personally committing rape as an international crime.

There have also been extensive reports of abuses committed against Iraqi and Syrian women and girls trapped between Da’esh and the military operations against it, including in the current situation in Mosul. Elsewhere, South Sudanese women and girls are being raped by armed actors with total impunity, as we will no doubt hear this morning from Ms. Lopidia.

In addition to such examples of extreme violence against women, we have countless examples of women’s extreme political marginalization in public life and decision-making, which must also be of concern to the Council, in view of its considerable power.