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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COLOMBIA: Horrors of Paramilitary Sexual Violence Revealed

Hundreds of women were raped and abused by paramilitaries in the AUC's northern block between 1997 and 2005, reveals a new report documenting sexual violence in Colombia's Caribbean region.

"Women and War: Victims and Resistors in the Colombian Conflict," by Colombia's National Reparation Commission, describes the shocking and systematic sexual violence carried out in the region by paramilitary fighters.

INTERNATIONAL: Exclusive Interview with Nicholas Kristof: Women Hold up Half the Sky

Two weeks ago in Los Angeles the Skirball Cultural Center launched their "Women Hold Up Half the Sky" exhibit, inspired by the acclaimed book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The book was co-written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalists and husband and wife team, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and addresses the oppression of women and girls worldwide.

PAKISTAN: Pakistan passes law to stop 'anti-women practices' - paper

Pakistan's parliament has passed a landmark law aimed at strengthening protection for women facing economic and social discrimination through practices such as forced marriage, the Express Tribune reported on Wednesday.

EGYPT: Sexual Assault and Torture in Post-Revolution Egypt

When the troops came into Tahrir Square in March, one young social worker was passing by on her way to pay back her student loans. When she saw people she recognised being attacked and arrested, she followed them to the museum where they were detained, and was arrested herself. That night, she was beaten and sexually assaulted – not by prison guards or thugs, but by a military doctor, in front of official witnesses.

INTERNATIONAL: Population Pressures will Worsen Plight of Women

The population of the world reached 7 billion on Oct. 31, 2011. According to UN projections there will be an additional 3 billion or more people by the end of the century.

Unfortunately, there are millions of women in developing countries who are unable to determine their family size because of a lack of access to contraceptives.

DRC: Election Promises of Peace and Security

The 11 candidates contesting presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo all pledge to improve peace and security in the country - promises received with varying degrees of scepticism by Congolese voters.

PAKISTAN: Tormented by stigma after rape

The three-room house in the Korangi area of the Pakistani city of Karachi, occupied until two months ago by Alam Din and his family of six, stands empty.

SOMALIA: Rape Cases Soar in Galkayo Camps

Deteriorating security, a culture of impunity and an increase in attacks on internally displaced people (IDPs) in the central Somali town of Galkayo, Mudug region, have resulted in a sharp increase in rape cases, gender activists told IRIN.

INDIA: An App to Fight Crimes Against Women

For many women who live here, the list of Delhi's “100 Most Unsafe Places,” recently compiled by Whypoll, a citizens' networking group, resonates with unpleasant associations.

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