Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

I am going to take a different angle in relation to referring to how much we have done. I am going to focus not only on what how much we still have to do, but also to add a hint of optimism. First, the international governmental community has agreed that sexual and gender-based violence inarmed conflict constitute a war crime and a crime against humanity.

We must undertake progressive, aggressive prevention measures and challenge societal norms that portray girls as less valuable than boys, causing them to develop low self-esteem and self-worth, thus further contributing to the cycle. We also need to prosecute perpetrators and hold them accountable for their actions in conflict-related sexual violence.

We are already seeing progress in that area with the African Union Mission in Somalia, which already has a policy on sexual exploitation and abuse.

The number of victims of sexual violence during armed conflict in Africa is staggering, and tackling the issue of conflict-related sexual violence is one of the critical areas of concern in my new mandate, requiring urgent and effective action at the community, national, regional and international levels. Additional areas of my mandate relate to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and women's participation in peace processes.

The code of conduct and the zero-tolerance policy will be shared with all troop-contributing countries and integrated into all related training.

Implementation of the Protocol and all existing AU instruments that address the issue of conflict-related sexual violence must be accelerated. There is still a long way to go and a lot of work to be done. We must start by doing away with the tradition of inequality between women and men, which is one of the overarching reasons why violence against women is widespread and so easily carried out.

I am therefore pleased to report that in January of this year the AU Commission signed a cooperation framework, with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, on preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

As we approach 2015, the Common African Position on the Post-2015 Development Agenda commits us to the eradication of all forms of violence against women and children. The African Union's Agenda 2063, which represents a commitment to build a prosperous and peaceful Africa, puts particular emphasis on the engagement of women and youth in the continent's development.

As long as we take the view that these are problems for women alone to solve, we cannot expect to reverse the high incidence of rape and child abuse. Domestic violence will not be eradicated. We will not defeat this scourge that affects each and every one of us, until we succeed in mobilizing the whole of our society to fight it.

We should also recognize the contribution made by the International Criminal Court in various situations, in particular by designating as war crimes acts that involve sexual violence against children, the recruitment of children under 15 years of age, or their use as active participants in armed conflicts.