Measures to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations

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. View More

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. View More

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. View More

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. View More

In December 2007, the OHCHR conducted a feasibility mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo to determine the most effective manner for contributing to ensuring accountability for crimes of sexual violence against women and the added value of its active participation in on-going or planned United Nations activities in this regard. View More

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. View More

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. View More

FAO closely collaborated with the IASC Task Force on Gender and Humanitarian Assistance in mainstreaming a gender perspective in humanitarian settings and raising awareness on gender issues of humanitarian officers and policy and decision-makers. In follow-up to Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, FAO integrated gender analysis in emergency and rehabilitation programmes and addressed the specific needs of the socio-economic groups most at risk of violence. View More

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. View More

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). View More