sexual violence in conflict

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

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

June 20, 2019

by Hillary Margolis

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

May 3, 2019

by Z. Pinar Erdem

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-Based Violence, WORLDVIEWS

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

November 11, 2018

by Dulcie Leimbach

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-Based Violence, Libya, Security Council

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WORLDVIEWS

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

June 18, 2018

by Gustavo Macedo

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-Based Violence, Responsibility to Protect, Secretary-General, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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TOPIC: WOMEN

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

May 2, 2017

by Dulcie Leimbach

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-Based 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

March 8, 2016

by Rhona Scullion

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-Based Violence, Human Rights, Peace and Security, Women

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In Eastern Ukraine, Questions Abound Regarding Violence Against Women

March 10, 2015

by Laura E. Kirkpatrick

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-Based Violence, Human Rights, Women

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Helpless Bosnia and Its Women, 20 Years After Ethnic War

July 6, 2014

by Barbara Crossette

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-Based Violence, Human Rights, International Justice, Women

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WORLDVIEWS

Columbia University Adds New Gender Focus to Its International Affairs School

December 17, 2013

by Yasmine Ergas

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 …