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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SOUTH SUDAN: Jonglei: Abducted Women Freed

Three women and two children, allegedly abducted from Pibor County in Jonglei state in an offensive by over 6,000 armed men from the Lou Nuer ethnic group against the Murle tribe in December and January, jave been recovered and are being returned to their families officials say.

Their release was negotiated by security agents in Jonglei, South Sudan's largest and often most volatile state.

LIBERIA: Breaking the Cycle of Violence and HIV in Liberia

“I was raped during the war by three men. I live with two stigmas: of rape and of HIV.” Although Benetta describes the situation of thousands of Liberian women, her determination to break the silence around these difficult issues, sets her apart.

INTERNATIONAL: Where Do Men Stand In All This?

Let's blame men. Many of us do—many women and even men blame men for the mass rape of women in war. It's easy to point our fingers and name the perpetrator. But what if we were to step back and ask how men can actually be part of the solution? It requires a couple of basic assumptions.

INTERNATIONAL: The Safest Prey: When Refugee Camps Become Sites Of Violence

Even war is safer than this.

Imagine it: Your family attacked. Your house teeming with soldiers. Your options running out. A protected area for victims of war sounds like a wise place to flee. But as too many women and girls have discovered, conflict itself can seem relatively calm once the violence of refugee life begins.

INTERNATIONAL: Naming and Shaming Sexual Violence

Sexual violence in conflict is a serious, present-day crisis affecting millions of people around the world. Ending sexual violence as a tactic of war remains one of the greatest challenges to the protection of human rights. The UN Secretary-General's annual report this week is the first to contain a list of 'named and shamed' for crimes of conflict-related sexual violence.

LIBERIA: The United Nations Mission in Liberia, Facts and Figures

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509 adopted on 16 September authorized the setting up of a peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

USA: Violence Against Women Act Becomes Partisan Issue

Protecting women from violence and abuse has been an issue of bipartisan cooperation since President Clinton signed the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994. It was reauthorized with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2000 and again in 2005. Not this year.

SOMALIA: Women's Rights In Somalia- Why The Silence?

No serious discussion on the advancement of women's rights in the 21st century can ignore the plight of Somali women. The unfortunate reality of a failed State coupled with the rise of extremist religious ideology have deprived women in Somalia of their fundamental human rights: the right to protection from harm, the right to an education, the right to good health, the right to a basic standard of living, and the right to freedom.

DRC/INTERNATIONAL: Why The Most Dangerous Places To Women Threaten Global Peace And Security

Sexual and gender-based violence, or SGBV, does not just affect an individual but also has the power to permeate an entire community. Often these acts are carried out during periods of conflict or post-conflict transitions when rule of law is weak and a culture of impunity reigns.

IRAQ: Gender and Conflict in Iraq

Gender violence in conflict zones can stem from a multitude of factors – societal customs, ideologies, stress, as well as government and non-government actors participating in the conflict. As a result, Iraq has seen an increase in the rate of domestic violence during periods of recession and war. Post-conflict Iraq does not represent only a society of war victims.

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