sexual violence in conflict

• April 12, 2022

As most of the world’s superpowers continue to impose sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Britain says it will double-down on its effort to call out Russia by ensuring it does not continue to misuse its position as a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council. “And we’re …

Peace and Security, Security Council Presidency

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Russia, the Current Big Spoiler in Advancing Global Gender Rights

Barbara Crossette

• April 12, 2021

Human-rights advocates around the world are assessing how much lasting damage could still be done to universal human rights after the four-year assault from the Trump administration. Although the Trump years ended with the swearing-in of President Joe Biden in January, civil society organizations and governments understand that an American turnaround could be slow …

Gender Violence, Secretary-General, Security Council, Women

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SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

Germany Renews Its Push for Multilateralism as the Top Dog in July

Stéphanie Fillion

• July 5, 2020

Germany is anticipating two milestones between now and Dec. 31 — make that three. On July 31, its monthly rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council ends, and on Dec. 31 its two-year stint on the Council is over. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel has said she will not seek re-election as German chancellor in …

Security Council Presidency

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WORLDVIEWS

In the Central African Republic, War’s Most Forgotten Victims

Hillary Margolis

• June 20, 2019

I can’t stop thinking about Marie. She was 30 years old when I met her in 2015. Two years earlier, six fighters armed with rifles and machetes burst into her home in the capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui. Two of the fighters held her husband at gunpoint while the others pushed her to …

Africa, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

Men Can Experience Sexual Violence in War Too

Z. Pinar Erdem

• May 3, 2019

The United Nations Security Council recognized that men and boys are targets of sexual violence both in wartime and in post-conflict settings. Resolution 2467, approved on April 23, calls upon UN member countries to strengthen policies to provide help for victims. As a human-rights lawyer, during the last nine months, I have been documenting cases of conflict-related …

Gender Violence, WORLDVIEWS

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UN Sanctions for Sexual Violence in Libya Approved, but Russia Resisted

Dulcie Leimbach

• November 11, 2018

A decision by the United Nations Security Council to add sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence should have gone smoothly. The proposal, led by the Netherlands and Sweden, was meant to deter such violence in conflict zones and other hot spots. Weeks earlier, diplomats turned out in hordes to mark the 18th anniversary of a …

Gender Violence, Libya, Security Council

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WORLDVIEWS

The UN’s Emphasis on Prevention Could Use Lessons From the Case of Guinea

Gustavo Macedo

• June 18, 2018

Historically neglected, gender-based violence is now becoming broadly recognized as a legitimate and urgent agenda item among the United Nations member nations, notably in the UN’s most powerful forum, the Security Council. But the future of the agenda is uncertain, as priorities remain unclear and inadequate methods for preventing sexual violence against women keep …

Africa, Gender Violence, Responsibility to Protect, SDGs, Secretary-General, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Rape by Terrorists: A UN Report Documents Sexual Attacks in War

Dulcie Leimbach

• May 2, 2017

Moving away from strictly categorizing rape and other sexual abuse against women as a weapon of war, a new report from the United Nations addresses the increasing use of rape as a weapon of terrorism. The report also documents how mass migration has led to further sexual violence against women through human trafficking by …

Gender Violence, Human Trafficking, Libya, Middle East, Peace and Security, Women

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In London, a New Academic Center Focuses on Sexual Violence in Conflict

Rhona Scullion

• March 8, 2016

LONDON — The Center for Women, Peace and Security, based at the London School of Economics in Britain, is a year old. The first of its kind in Europe, the center aims to shed light on the prevalence of violence against women during conflict through academic research and forums. The concept of the center …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Peace and Security, Women

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In Eastern Ukraine, Questions Abound Regarding Violence Against Women

Laura E. Kirkpatrick

• March 10, 2015

A recent cease-fire seems to be holding in eastern Ukraine, promising relative relief in the region from the incessant, percussive beat of heavy artillery from Howitzers, tanks and rocket launchers with a backbeat provided by Kalashnikov AK-74s. Fighting in Ukraine’s civil war has kept people in the embattled zones on a razor’s edge since …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women

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Helpless Bosnia and Its Women, 20 Years After Ethnic War

Barbara Crossette

• July 6, 2014

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — “Please don’t let the world forget us again.” The plea is heard everywhere by men as well as by women in the picturesque Balkan city of Sarajevo, the site of Europe’s most destructive and sadistic conflict in more than half a century. Sarajevo was briefly in the news …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, International Justice, Women

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WORLDVIEWS

Columbia University Adds New Gender Focus to Its International Affairs School

Yasmine Ergas

• December 17, 2013

Gender is at the center of international agendas, not at their periphery. Today, plans in Sochi for the forthcoming Olympics — the emblem of international cooperation — are riven by disputes over Russia’s policies toward lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender persons. Peacemakers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must address the needs of more than 2.5 million …