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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GUATEMALA: Court of Conscience Against Sexual Violence During the Internal Armed Conflict

March 4-5, 2010, marked a historic moment for women in Guatemala, where for the first time the Court of Conscience against Sexual Violence during the Internal Armed Conflict took place in Guatemala City.

NICARAGUA: Karla Jacobs: Interview with Marcia Saavedra

In this interview Marcia talks about achievements and set backs of the Nicaraguan women's movement over the last few years and explains why she feels a bit disillusioned with the direction the movement has taken recently.

MEXICO: Mother's Day Victory for Ciudad Juarez Women

On the eve of Mother's Day 2010, relatives of women murdered in Ciudad Juarez and their allies chalked up another victory on the international front.

By a vote of 359 to 235, with 17 abstentions, the European Parliament approved an amendment to its strategic plan for Latin American relationships that cites an international court verdict on the Ciudad Juarez femicides.

Indian Women Raped by Soldiers Seek Justice in Guatemala

A group of Guatemalan Indian women who were raped by army soldiers during the country's 1960-1996 civil war broke their silence Friday and with their heartrending testimony demanded justice.

LATIN AMERICA: 'Women in Focus' at Film Festival


The First International Women and Film Festival for Gender Equity drew enthusiastic audiences this month in the Argentine capital, where movies from nearly 40 countries were screened.

GUINEA: New UN Human Rights Office to Open in Guinea to Help Prevent Abuses

The United Nations is setting up a human rights office in Guinea to help the Government prevent abuses such as last year's violent suppression by the then military junta of mass protests in which 156 people were killed, women raped, political opponents arrested and their homes looted.

DRC: New Findings on Rape Patterns in the DRC

Dubbed the "rape capital" of the world by Margot Walhstrom, UN Special Representative on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Eastern DRC is seen as the epicenter of sexual violence. A study, jointly put together by Oxfam, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, looks at more than 4,000 rape cases and provides exact data on when and where rapes occur and who the victims and perpetrators are.

PALESTINE: Murder in the Name of Family Honour

At a landmark conference held recently in Ramallah in the occupied Palestinian territory, delegates were told of documented cases of “honour” crimes where women and girls had been poisoned, strangled, shot and forced to commit suicide by arelatives because their alleged behaviours had tarnished the family “honour”.

INTERNATIONAL: Sexual Violence Aggravates the 31 Armed Conflicts of 2009

According to the Alerta 2010! Report on Conflicts, Human Rights and Peacebuilding, sexual violence was used as a weapon in most armed conflicts taking place in 2009. In addition to the report, the School for a Culture of Peace of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona also published the Yearbook 2010 on Peace Processes.

NEPAL: UN Urges End to Nepalese Practice of Using Young Girls as Domestic Workers

The United Nations has urged Nepal to end the practice of sending young girls from indigenous families to work in private homes, where they risk being exploited, and to ensure justice for those who have been abused as well as search for those who have gone missing.

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