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:Militarism And Sexualized Violence Against Women– Making Sense Of What We Do And Don't Know

When it comes to sexual violence during armed conflict, there is much we still don't know, which, as the 2012 Human Security Report points out, has important implications for how we address that violence. The authors of the report state that they believe that the way we frame and perceive the problem is flawed in several ways:

PRESS RELEASE: Largest global study on violence against women finds feminist movements hold the key to change

A new study on violence against women conducted over four decades and in 70 countries reveals the mobilization of feminist movements is more important for change than the wealth of nations, left-wing political parties, or the number of women politicians.

PANEL DISCUSSION: The International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict

The International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict will be making its first official visit to New York next week, coinciding with the a United Nations High Level meeting on the rule of law. As policy makers from around the world gather in the American city, so too will the Advisory Committee to discuss the Campaign's next steps and strategies.

FORUM: The Unspoken Cost of War - Gender-based Violence During Conflict

EVENT DETAILS

Tuesday, 13 November 2012 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm
National Film and Sound Archive
McCoy Circuit, Acton
Canberra ACT, AUSTRALIA

And;

Wednesday, 14 November 2012 | 6:30pm - 8pm
Multipurpose Room, Fort Scratchley
Nobbys Road, Newcastle East
Newcastle NSW, AUSTRALIA

BLOG: Sex and World Peace: Or, What Little Girls Have to Do With Our Wars

This week a Taliban hit squad in Pakistan targeted and shot Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old who was fighting for the right of girls to be educated. I cried at the inhumanity on and off all day when I heard. Maybe she should have just dressed the part and saved her life. I'm not being flip. I wish with all my heart that she didn't have to be shot in the head to become a "global icon" for the plight of girls.

ANALYSIS: The Avalanche of Violence Continues to Accelerate in Darfur

The disappearance of Darfur from the international agenda now seems complete, perversely at the very moment when the region may be facing its most dangerous season of violence.

APPEAL: to the Pakistan Government to Take Urgent Action on the Attempted Assassination Of Young Defender Malala Yousafzai

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.

BLOG: Why everyday gender inequality could lead to our next war

What if I suggested that reducing the rates of rape and sexism in the U.S. would reduce our risk of international conflict? You might think that American girls and women who regularly adapt their lives to deal with “harmless” street harassment, or who are assaulted by American men, have little to do with, say, the Iraq War.

DOCUMENTARY: Chagrin Documentary Film Fest to Include Sobering Look at Women Veterans

The problems of women soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan are addressed in the new documentary "Service: When Women Come Marching Home." It tells their stories of lost limbs, homelessness, psychological issues, sexual assault and how they can get help.

CAMPAIGN: United States: Sexual Assault of Women in the Military Must be Stopped

Approximately 19,000 sexual assaults take place in the U.S. military each year; Ruth Moore, at the age of 18, survived two of them. Ruth enlisted in the U.S. Navy during her senior year of high school in search of a better life. Her family couldn't afford college and the military was her best chance at obtaining a college degree. In 1987, after boot camp and service school, Ruth was posted overseas in the Azores.

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