Sexual Violence in Conflict

UNFPA – via its Country Offices - was involved in implementing various components of Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820 in humanitarian settings, including programming to address the needs of survivors of gender-based violence.

As part of the United Nations system-wide work programme on scaling-up HIV/AIDS services for populations of humanitarian concern, FAO carried out research on HIV AND AIDS, gender inequality, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and equal property rights in Western Kenya (Busia District).

WHO co-chairs the IASC Sub-working group on gender and humanitarian action and is actively involved, including as members of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, in responding to sexual and gender-based violence in emergencies.

A consultation was held to develop the WHO ethical and safety recommendations for researching, documenting and monitoring sexual violence in emergencies. This is now available in English and French, and translation into Arabic is under way.

UNFPA is working in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders to address gender-based violence, including addressing sexual violence in emergency and post-emergency humanitarian responses.

FAO collaborated with the members of the IASC Task Force in the dissemination of "Guidelines for gender-based violence interventions in humanitarian settings: focusing on prevention of and response to sexual violence in emergencies" and the handbook "Women, girls, boys and men: different needs - equal opportunities", which also includes some actions to address gender-based violence.

In the UNRISD research programme for 2005-2009, violence against women is being addressed under the Gender and Development Programme. The Programme has recently launched an edited volume series, co-published with Routledge, the second of which is Gendered Peace: Women’s Struggles for Post-War Justice and Reconciliation, 2008. Its particular focus is on “post-conflict” or “post-war” period.

As a member of UN Action, UNFPA co-organized inter-agency trainings on violence against women for coordinators in humanitarian settings in 2007 and provided strategic assistance to the UNCT in Darfur (Sudan) and DRC in 2007. UNFPA hosted a workshop in Tunisia during the summer of 2007, on the topic of displaced women in conflict and post-conflict situations. Recommendations from the workshop focused on ways to engage in efforts to accelerate implementation of Security Council 1325.

UNICEF has played a major role in the new UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative, as Co-Chair of the advocacy working group. Under the auspices of UN Action, UNICEF, together with the women’s rights NGO V-Day is leading a global campaign against sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Campaign, Stop raping our Greatest Resource: Power to the Women and Girls of DRC was launched in Bukavu, DRC, in November 2007.

The UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, Goodwill Ambassador launched a global internet-based campaign (www.sayNOtoviolence.org) in consultation with UN sister agencies, NGOs and private sector. UNIFEM is a founding member of and hosts the Secretariat for the UN Action to End Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations.