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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HAITI: Rape a Part of Daily Life for Women in Haitian Relief Camps (Ms. Magazine blog)

Even after the aftershocks of the devastating Jan. 12 quake subsided, women's bodies were still trembling in Haiti. The cause, according to a new report, is the systematic, persistent (and often gang) rapes that have become part of women's daily lives in camps for internally displaced persons (IDP).

USA: Obama Signs Act To Empower Native Americans to Fight Rape (Ms. Magazine blog)

One in three Native American women will be raped at least once in her lifetime. And that's why President Obama's signing of the Tribal Law and Order Act today is so vital. Tribes will now have the right–and the resources–to investigate and prosecute rapes perpetrated by non-Natives on tribal lands.

UNITED NATIONS: Safe Women, Strong Nations Project Combats Rape on Reservations

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the incidence of violence against Native women is three times greater than that experienced by white, Latino or African American women in the United States. "One in three Indian women in the United States is raped in her lifetime," said Lucy Rain Simpson, a citizen of the Navaho Nation and an attorney for the Indian Law Resource Center in Helena, Montana.

SOMALIA: Civilians Continue to Bear Brunt of Warfare in Mogadishu

A very high proportion of civilians, among them large numbers of women and young children, are bearing the brunt of ongoing extreme warfare in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, with many suffering catastrophic injuries.

UNITED STATES: Bill Seeks Action to Curb Brutality Against Women Globally

Bipartisan legislation that would mandate a comprehensive plan to combat violence against women worldwide is poised for a potential congressional vote, marking tough new action by the United States on a problem that's commonplace across the globe.
Among other things, the bill would increase U.S. aid to 20 nations that take concrete action to curb brutality against women.

KENYA: Women in Kenya Fight Back Against Sexual Violence

According to the Nairobi Women's hospital, one person is raped every thirty minutes in Kenya. Sexual violence leaves many women fearful for their lives. However, many are discovering a way to fight back. Dr. Jake Sinclair, founding member of Ugamaan, a non-governmental organization that provides help to rape victims told MediaGlobal,

IRAN: Iranian Woman Facing Stoning: 'I'm afraid of dying'

In a room thousands of miles from her prison cell in northeastern Iran, the fear that has gripped Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani for years was clear and almost palpable. “The day I was given the stoning sentence, it was as if I fell into a deep hole and I lost consciousness,” said a human rights advocate, reading aloud from a letter attributed to Ashtiani.

LEBANON: Parliament Urged To Adopt Domestic Abuse Laws

The Lebanese Parliament should adopt proposed domestic abuse legislation as soon as possible, UN representatives urged on Friday. The call was made at the closing session of a three-day event “Implementing the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and ending violence against women” which was jointly organized by the Lebanese Parliament and the UN Development Program (UNDP).

BURMA/MYANMAR: Amid Threats, Women Dissidents Stick to Political Beliefs

While Aung San Suu Kyi remains the most widely-known woman suppressed for her political views in Burma, the jails in that military-ruled country continue to be filled by lesser-known women dissidents being held on a range of questionable charges.

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