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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EL SALVADOR/AMERICAS: Everyday aggression

ONE night last year police received a call from worried residents of a wealthy area of San Salvador, El Salvador's capital, who thought they had heard a woman being beaten up by her partner. A few minutes later they called back to say they had heard gunshots ring out from the house.

MYANMAR: Burma Support Withheld on UN Pledge to End Sexual Violence

Burma's government has not supported a declaration launched on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week to end sexual violence in conflict zones, as women in the country report continuing rape by soldiers amid the transition from military rule.

NICARAGUA: Nicaraguan Law Update 'Piles Pressure on Women to Face Abusers'

Thousands of women in Nicaragua have taken to the streets to protest against legal changes that could push female victims of crime to sit face-to-face with their abusers.

COLOMBIA: T&T, Colombia in Security Talks

Women from South America are lured into T&T and kept in “houses” as virtual slaves throughout T&T. And as a measure to curb human trafficking, T&T and Colombia are expected to sign an agreement to combat this scourge.

BOSNIA & SERBIA: Witness Testimony About Horrendous Treatment of Women by Bosnia Serb Forces

A protected witness testified in The Hague this week about being gang-raped and held prisoner by Bosnian Serb soldiers during the 1990s war.

The prosecution witness, referred to only by the number RM-70, appeared at the trial of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic in The Hague. Her image and voice were digitally distorted to conceal her identity from the public.

CAMBODIA: Women Speak Out About Sexual Violence Under KR Regime

When Yam Lash was brutally raped by Khmer Rouge soldiers under a coconut tree in 1977, she was convinced she had little time left to live. Then aged about 40, she had already outlived her husband and three children, whose deaths to this day remain a mystery to her.

MYANMAR: Women Demand Justice for Civil-War Sex Abuse Victims

Participants at the Myanmar Women's Forum 2013 held from September 20 to 22 in Yangon.

Myanmar women's organizations at the Myanmar Women's Forum have demanded the government to bear responsibility and deliver justice to women who were sexually abused during civil wars.

The civil wars which are still going on have led to numerous cases of human rights violations.

SYRIA: Syrian Women Used as 'Weapons of War'

Women in Syria are being used as "weapons of war", a human rights activist has told MEPs.

Farah Hwijeh, a civil society leader supporting the participation of women in peace building in Syria, told the Human Rights Committee that rape and sexual harassment were becoming widespread since the start of the country's conflict in 2011.

AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan Commitment to Human Rights Waning - U.N.

The statement will be a blow to Western nations and the government of President Hamid Karzai, who want to paint a positive human rights picture ahead of the withdrawal of most foreign forces scheduled by the end of next year.

AFGHANISTAN: Woman Police Officer Survives Violent Assassination Attempt

Only a few months ago following the killing of First Lieutenant Isla Bibi, her female police force replacement Second Lieutenant Bibi Negarah was attacked, but not killed, by a gunman and his associate who were driving by on a motorcycle.

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