Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

At the institutional level, Rwanda's security organs, in collaboration with other Government agencies, local communities and civil society, have launched initiatives to prevent and respond to violence that targets women and girls.

"At the continental level, Rwanda is among the leading the police-contributing countries, with female police and correctional officers serving in the United Nations peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Haiti, the Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad. Those officers actively contribute to combating and raising awareness on violence against women in the communities they serve.

For over a decade now, resolution 1325 (2000) has clearly confirmed its vital role and importance in strengthening the role of women in the prevention and settlement of armed conflicts and during post- conflict reconstruction, as well as in their protection during such conflicts. Unfortunately, despite numerous efforts, women continue to fall victim to various forms of violence.

While there has been significant progress in implementing resolution 1325 (2000) over the years, persistent gaps and challenges remain. For far too many women in conflict-affected societies, the mere protection of a woman's basic rights, let alone gender equality, remains a daunting challenge. In Syria, women account for the majority of the casualties and the displaced population.

We cannot talk about women and peace and security without discussing the causes of their vulnerability. There are several aspects of this that should be strengthened, first and foremost through laws that protect women in conflict without discrimination. We should call on all parties concerned to take measures to protect women and girls against gender-based and sexual violence in times of conflict.

In Syria, women are being targeted for violence more than others. Under orders from the regime, acts of physical and psychological violence, rape, sexual violence, degradation and torture have been committed by members of the Syrian armed forces against their own families. Those are all war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It is increasingly evident that the rule of law is all too often the second victim of conflict, the first victims being women and girls. Portugal reaffirms the view that women and girls are disproportionately affected by armed conflicts and remain particularly vulnerable in post-conflict situations.

Appreciable progress has been made over the years in promoting the agenda on women and peace and security, but much remains to be done to fully translate the objectives of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent decisions of the Council into more tangible results on the ground. We do have a solid and comprehensive normative framework in our hands; resolution 2122 (2013), adopted today, further consolidates it.

To take just one example: the OSCE promotes gender balance in its work with judicial personnel because we believe that diversity has a positive impact on women's access to justice and the perceived legitimacy of the judiciary.

Sexual violence against women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations should remain a matter of high priority to the international community. More needs to be done to hold accountable the perpetrators of such heinous acts. Indeed, the adoption of resolution 2016 (2013), in June, underscored the need for more systematic monitoring of sexual violence in armed conflict.