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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International: Secretary-General Appoints Margot Wallström of Sweden as Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Margot Wallström of Sweden as his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Ms. Wallström has been a long-time advocate of the rights and needs of women throughout her political career -- first as Swedish Minister and later as Environment Commissioner and Vice-President of the European Commission.

INTERNATIONAL: New U.N. Envoy to Crack Down on Sexual Violence

When the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 back in October 2000, it was a historic event: for the first time the U.N.'s most powerful political body dealt with a gender-related issue, explicitly linking women to peace and security.

INTERNATIONAL: Peacebuilding Office Teams up with UN Entities to Combat Sexual Violence in Conflict

The United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office has joined forces with a network of over a dozen other UN entities to prevent sexual violence in armed conflict and respond effectively to the needs of survivors.

International: Austria - Plassnik:

Special envoy reminds of urgent need for European emergency call number for victims of violence.

International:

What conceptions of gender underlie military policy towards sexual violence? Is the specific form the violence takes determined by the type of warfare? To what extent is sexual violence in wartime different to that in peacetime? And what does a closer examination of homosexual violence add to our understanding? A roundtable discussion organized by the Hamburg Institute of Social Research.

International: Women Thrive Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan International Violence Against Women Act

Women Thrive Worldwide applauds the introduction today of the bipartisan International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA), in both Houses of the 111th Congress. This groundbreaking bill addresses for the first time the global crisis of violence against women and girls, and would apply the force of U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance toward preventing such abuse, which is estimated to affect one in three women and girls worldwide.

International: US lawmakers target global violence against women

US lawmakers introduced landmark legislation Thursday to make combatting violence against women and girls worldwide -- notably in places like Haiti and Afghanistan -- central to US foreign policy.

International: West African collaboration for gender equality enhanced by new UN initiative

Gender equality, respect for women's rights and the fight against sexual violence in West Africa received a new weapon in its arsenal today with the launch of a United Nations initiative to enhance cooperation among all stakeholders in the region.

INTERNATIONAL: Curbing Sexual Violence in Conflict is 'Mission Irresistible' for New UN Envoy

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's newly appointed Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict promised today a more coherent and effective battle against the scourge, citing recent mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and calling her new task “mission irresistible.”

INTERNATIONAL: Press Conference on Sexual Violence in Conflict

The recent appointment of a Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict was a clear indication of the international community's commitment to ending a crime that devastates millions of women and children, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

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