Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

The Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) theme focuses on the incidence and prevalence of violence against women in conflict and post-conflict settings. Polarisation of gender roles, proliferation of weapons, militarisation, and the breakdown of law influence SGBV.

The risk of SGBV is heightened during conflict by aggravating factors, including the polarization of gender roles, the proliferation of arms, the militarization of society, and the breakdown of law and order. The subsequent long-term and complex impacts of SGBV continue to affect individuals and communities after conflict ends.

SGBV is addressed in all five resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. In SCR 1888, the Security Council expresses its intention to ensure peacekeeping mandate resolutions contain provisions on the prevention of, and response to, sexual violence, with corresponding reporting requirements to the Council (OP11). The resolutions deal with protecting women from violence (1820,OP3, 8-10; 1888,OP3,12); strengthening local and national institutions to assist victims of sexual violence (1820,OP13; 1888,OP13); and including strategies to address sexual violence in post-conflict peacebuilding processes (1820,OP11). SCR 1820 also calls for the participation of women in the development of mechanisms intended to protect women from violence (OP10).

Lastly, SCR 1960 creates institutional tools and teeth to combat impunity and outlines specific steps needed for both the prevention of and protection from conflict-related sexual violence. The new “naming and shaming,” listing mechanism mandated in the Resolution is a step forward in bringing justice for victims and a recognition that sexual violence is a serious violation of human rights and international law.

Addressing SGBV is an integral aspect of the overall Women, Peace and Security agenda. SGBV affects the health and safety of women, and also has significant impact on economic and social stability. The Security Council recognises that sexual violence can threaten international peace and security, and that it is frequently used as a tactic of war to dominate, humiliate, terrorise, and displace.

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BLOG: Rape in the Line of "Duty"

In a way I agree with Indian Army chief Gen Bikram Singh that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), without which his troops would be open to charges of rape and murder in Kashmir and Manipur, should neither be diluted nor withdrawn.

BLOG: Violence Against Indigenous Women and the Twofold Challenge

"Two of every three women murdered died for the simple reason: they were women. In 2012, recorded cases numbered 526 for Guatemala, 245 for Honduras and 231 for El Salvador (CLADEM, 2012).

BLOG: Nicaragua: A Dangerous Place for Women

Most of us have heard about the murders of young women in Ciudad Juarez or the genocidal rapes in the Congo. In the notorious cases, at least the victims' plight is recognized–although we often despair at the lack of real change that years of news stories and government and NGO programs has wrought. Public and official forums note the seriousness of the crimes, and attempts are made to address them.

BLOG: When Women Kill Women, Feminicide in Asia

A young Indian woman has just given birth to her child, but her eyes are dull and show no happiness: her baby is a little girl, unfortunately. She will have to kill her soon.

BLOG: Violence Against Women? Call the Kung Fu Grannies!

Women all over the developing world face harassment, threats, and abuse on a daily basis. The brutal gang rape of a young medical student in New Delhi last December ignited India, and the rest of the world, leading to mass protests for women's rights and demands for safer cities for all.

BLOG: Women's Rights Movement in Colombia Takes the Stage

Colombian actress and social rights activist Patricia Ariza came to campus to speak to a full house of USF students and faculty, and other visitors about her unique movement for women's rights in Colombia.

BLOG: Women Wage Peace in South Sudan

Hon. Dr. Priscilla Joseph Kuch, Deputy Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare for the Republic of South Sudan, views violence against women as one of the major obstacles to the country's development.

BLOG: African Women Mobilize to Build Peace

Distanced physically from the conflicts and challenges that plague their nations, United Methodist women from Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Mozambique recently explored their roles as women peace-builders.

BLOG: Women's Battle Against Tyranny and Violence in Egypt Spans Centuries

Both International Women's Day and Egyptian Women's Day take place in March. The latter commemorates the day in 1919 when women staged their first demonstration in the country's history. That revolution saw women wave small flags as they called for freedom and independence, shouting slogans against the British occupation. Several of them were killed in the demonstration.

INITIATIVE: DRC Empowers Women in South Sudan

In Upper Nile State, South Sudan, women and girls make up 52% of the refugee population. Spread across four camps, these women and girls are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) and disenfranchisement. As the lead protection agency in Maban County, and the managers of Doro and Yusif Batil Refugee Camps, the Danish Refugee Council has begun a campaign to reduce physical and psychological abuse of women.

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