As conflicts multiply and spread across the globe, violence against women and girls in conflict, post-conflict, and humanitarian settings is on the rise, the UN human rights chief warned on Tuesday.
During a panel held on the sidelines of the 59th session of the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner stated that in recent years, his Office and Council-appointed investigative commissions have documented thousands of horrific cases of gender-based violence, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in Ukraine.
” Conflict-related sexual violence is a crime that can and must be prevented and punished “.
In Haiti, women and girls are increasingly subjected to sexual violence, including sexual slavery. “A recent decree establishing two specialized judicial units, supported by my Office, marks a decisive step in the fight against impunity for sexual violence in the country,” said Volker Türk in a video message.
Widespread conflict-related gang rape in Sudan
In Sudan, “gang rape and other forms of sexual violence” related to the conflict are widespread and, in West Darfur and other areas, are even used as “a weapon of war during ethnically motivated attacks.”
“This is abhorrent. Fighters are encouraged to target women, often as a deliberate weapon of war to terrorize communities, force them to flee, and silence women who speak out against war-mongering and work to build peace,” Türk said.
Despite this grim picture, most perpetrators of gender-based violence continue “to get away with it, including men directly responsible for massive and brutal sexual assaults that should shock the conscience of every human being.”
The UN Human Rights Office warns that recent cuts to global aid budgets are severely limiting the work of women’s groups. “Many of these groups are close partners of my Office, working to support survivors in the Central African Republic, Colombia, the DRC, South Sudan, and elsewhere,” Türk added, stressing that “the lack of psychosocial support leaves girls and women alone, excluded, and traumatized.”
Unimaginable Cruelty
For her part, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict expressed concern about the worsening of conflict-related sexual violence around the world.
According to Pramila Patten, growing militarization is creating the conditions for “unimaginable and relentless cruelty.” Gang rape, sexual slavery, and other brutal forms of sexual violence are being used as tactics of war, torture, and terrorism to subjugate and displace populations.
The Special Representative also took the opportunity to present the 2024 annual report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, which will be submitted to the Security Council in August. The document reports more than 4,500 cases in 21 countries, with women and girls accounting for over 90% of the victims. While the report highlights the severity and brutality of verified incidents, it does not claim to reflect the full scale or global prevalence of this chronically underreported and historically hidden crime.
Trafficking Networks
“We know that for every woman who comes forward, many others are silenced by fear of retaliation and a lack of adequate services. Moreover, stigma, rooted in harmful social norms, leads to the socio-economic exclusion and impoverishment of survivors,” said Ms. Patten.
Overall, the report highlights the vulnerability of displaced persons, refugees, and migrants, who continue to face heightened risks of sexual violence, including “abduction and sexual slavery, in conflict situations such as Burkina Faso, the DRC, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.”
In Myanmar, Ukraine, Sudan, and elsewhere, women and girls fleeing for safety have become “prey to trafficking networks and unscrupulous criminals, for whom the forced displacement of civilians is not a tragedy but an opportunity for exploitation.”
Carrying Condoms While Looking for Food
“In eastern DRC, women reported carrying condoms when they went out in search of food or to collect firewood and water. These women face an unacceptable choice between economic survival and sexual violence, between their livelihoods and their lives,” said Ms. Patten, emphasizing that “sexual violence remains a persistent feature of the political economy of war.”
This serves as a reminder that rape is not “an inevitable consequence of war,” but rather something that can be prevented through a concerted and strategic approach.
“We must reassure at-risk populations by showing them that they are not forgotten and that international law is not an empty promise. At a time of setbacks and regression, failing to uphold the progress made would only betray survivors and embolden perpetrators,” concluded the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.