Sexual violence in conflict is not inevitable, but governments must do more to prevent it
Throughout all conflicts in history and today, sexual violence has been used as a tactic of war and a form of repression. Often this type of weapon has been stigmatized, leaving survivors silent about their experiences and perpetrators escaping justice. I am attending the PSVI conference this week in London with CARE International to use my voice and amplify the voices of women in South Sudan.
The issue of conflict-related sexual violence does not exist in a vacuum. It operates through the invisible factors of gender discrimination, victim-blaming culture and male dominance. Inadequate preventive measures to track conflict-related sexual violence and other related human rights violations have allowed these acts to go unprevented and unpunished.
For most of the past decade, South Sudan has been embroiled in conflict. I founded an organization that provides services to women and girls affected by gender-based violence because the urgent need to address this type of gender-based violence could not be more pressing. In South Sudan, two out of three women face gender-based violence. A report earlier this year from United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan found that women and girls here face various forms of oppression, including targeted killings, rape and sexual violence, slavery, forced marriage, forced reproduction, forced labor and other forms of sexual violence and inequality.
This issue has not gone unnoticed, and various stakeholders, including donors and international organizations, have made a number of commitments to combat gender-based violence and support women’s civil society organizations in South Sudan. At the international level, enormous efforts have been made over the past fifteen years to increase global recognition of this complex and pervasive problem, while the United Nations Security Council has adopted a number of resolutions to prevent conflict-related sexual violence. But enforcement, accountability and enforcement of these rulings are lacking.
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The UK Government’s Initiative to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict launched this year a global code to combat conflict-related sexual violence. While the goal of gathering information from survivors of sexual violence during conflict is laudable, it is critical that governments prioritize strengthening the implementation and funding of existing frameworks and commitments. Sexual violence in conflict cannot be addressed without addressing the many aspects of gender inequality that pave the way for it.
At this week’s PSVI Summit, I will join other women civil society leaders from around the world brought together by CARE International to outline what is needed if world leaders are to get serious about addressing sexual violence in conflict. From the evidence from programs like What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls, we know that violence can be prevented, not inevitable, if we to act to prevent this.
First, and predictably, funding: the latest analysis of global humanitarian funding shows that the sector is currently funded at just 8% of its 2022 requirements. It goes without saying that without adequate funding, everything else remains a dream.
We also know the direct link between humanitarian crises and gender-based violence – so all humanitarian responses must have built-in measures to prevent it. This means risk assessment and mitigation measures from the earliest stages of an emergency, and funding available to the women-led organizations that are so critical to the response.
The inclusion of women’s voices is very important. Women and girls affected by emergencies should not be seen as passive recipients of aid. Local women’s organizations need to be supported in leading efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, even in times of conflict, so that they can participate fully in decision-making and their priorities can be recognized and funded according to the scale of the problem.
Rather than focusing only on sexual violence in conflict situations, it is important to focus on all forms of gender-based violence, including physical and emotional violence and the denial of resources that disproportionately affect women and girls in all situations, including post-conflict. , development and humanitarian settings. The UK and other donors and key decision-makers need to comprehensively address the many forms of violence women and girls face in conflict and humanitarian settings, including conflict-related sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and childhood, early and forced marriages. We cannot prevent sexual violence in conflict unless the underlying factors that pave the way for it are challenged. Resources should be invested not only to prevent violence during humanitarian crises, but also in the long term, aimed at promoting gender equality and engaging men and boys in this process.
The 2022 PSVI conference is an important chance to make much-needed progress in ending sexual violence in conflict and the many aspects of gender inequality that contribute to it. It should go beyond words and continue when the delegates leave. The international community must fulfill its obligations to prevent and respond effectively to violence against women and girls during crises.
