Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Fifteen years later, many credible reports state that violence against women and girls is on the rise. Women and girls continue to suffer most as victims of conflicts, while they generally do not benefit from the dividends of peace processes. Women and girls are viewed as bearers of cultural and ethnic identities and thus become prime targets for the perpetrators of violence.

The fight against sexual violence is not limited to the United Nations. At the regional level, the African Union has adopted a its own solidarity initiative to promote international consultations on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

Recent legal acts such as those entitled “Protection from Discrimination” and “Military Discipline in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania” provide for appropriate legal and disciplinary measures in cases of sexual harassment, sexual violence and genderbased violence committed by military personnel in discharging their duties.

Secondly, we must break the silence and raise awareness so as to prevent sexual violence, protect victims and provide them with the opportunity to be reintegrated into their societies. We must also work to reinforce the legal arsenal to protect the victims and punish the perpetrators of such violence.

Yet, despite the efforts of the international community to establish a normative and legal framework, including Security Council resolutions, sexual violence in conflict is on the rise and becoming more complex. Sexual violence is still used as a weapon in war in order to subjugate and humiliate opponents in conflict.

Resolution 1325 (2000) also urges Member States to incorporate women in decisionmaking processes. In that regard, I should like to highlight Andorra’s experience, which has achieved a gender-balanced Parliament without adopting legislative measures but rather as a result of a society that was able to evolve in terms of equality.

This year marks 15 years since the historic, unanimous adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) by the Security Council. Since then, we have seen notable progress in favour of women, such as the establishment in 2010 of UN-Women and the international recognition of sexual violence as a threat to international peace and security.

Argentina’s incorporation of woman info peacekeeping processes and its process for implementing resolution 1325 (2000) is its response to a political decision to mainstream a gender perspective into public policies and to defend and promote women’s human rights in every area. In that regard, in 2008 we established a national plan for implementing resolution 1325 (2000) in the area of defence, and in 2012 we did the same vis-à-vis security.