Soroptimist International Advocacy Focus
Sexual
Violence in Conflict has been a major topic of discussion across the world
recently. The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, held in London
in June, triggered much of this discussion. The Summit is to date the largest
gathering on this subject. 1,700 delegates and 129 country delegations,
including 79 Ministers were in attendance. Soroptimist International was also
in attendance, alongside many other organisations.
Photo: Soroptimists at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence. To find out about what happened at the Global Summit, please read SIGBI Past President Pat Black’s blog.
But this
valuable work cannot there! Soroptimist International invites all members to
lobby governments and work with communities to make sure that commitments to
end sexual violence are kept! This Advocacy Focus is designed to help you to
that. The following advocacy tools are contained in this Advocacy Focus:
- Lobbying letters which can be sent to government representatives and officials.
- Ideas on hosting events and campaigns that you can partake in.
- Information about sexual violence in conflict.
Advocacy Letters
There are three letters which can be sent to governments and officials about sexual violence in conflict.There is a letter for:
- Governments who have not signed the UN Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict and do not have a National Action Plan. See here.
- Governments who have signed the UN Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, but do not have a National Action Plan. See here.
- Governments who have both signed the UN Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict and have a National Action Plan. See here.
As sexual violence in conflict is a current major topic of discussion, it is important that Soroptimists do not let governments forget to take action! By sending the appropriate letter to your government, you will become part of the global movement that is taking action to see an end to these horrendous crimes.
Which letter you send depends upon what stage of action your government
is at. To select the correct letter, please use the attached list to
find out. Some more information about the content of the letters is available in Frequently Asked Questions.
A Brief Modern History of Sexual Violence in Conflict
Even though
sexual violence in conflict was relatively well documented during World War 2
and before, it only became a major issue after capturing the headlines during
the early 1990s with the Rwandan genocide and the Bosnian War. Prior to this
point sexual violence, although prohibited, was considered to be an inevitable
consequence of conflict. Mass public outrage at the images and reports coming
out of those two conflicts prompted action from the international community,
with 2 temporary international courts being set up to deal with atrocities, and
the first sets of guidelines on how to help victims being issued by NGOs and
the UN. Since then, there has been a steady improvement in how victims are
treated and the support that they receive. However, much still needs to be
done. Sexual violence is still widely used in conflict. Details of current and past conflicts where sexual violence has been prominent is available here.
Facts about Sexual Violence in Conflict
- Sexual violence in conflict is most often
experienced by women of reproductive age, but cases against men and children
are also reported frequently. - Rape is used as a tactic of war by insurgents,
rebel groups and state armies in order to brutalise and humiliate civilians,
and as a method of ethnic cleansing. It is used to control and dominate
victims, their families and communities. - Sexual violence in times of conflict can be
prosecuted as a war crime, a crime against humanity, an act of torture, and as
an act of genocide. - Conservative UN estimates suggest that 20,000 to 50,000 women
were raped during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while
approximately 250,000 to 500,000 women and girls were targeted in the 1994
Rwandan genocide. During the civil war in Sierra Leone (1991-2002) it is
thought that more than 60 000 women were raped, and more than 40 000 in Liberia
(1989-2003). - The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda set a landmark
precedent as it made the first prosecution of rape as genocide in 1998, but
only after a judge requested the
investigation of sexual violence. - The first trial of sexual violence in conflict committed
against men was prosecuted by the International Criminal Tribunal of the Former
Yugoslavia.
Taking Action
There are actions
you can take right now to work to end sexual violence in conflict:
1. Send the appropriate SI advocacy letter to your government. Check the list here to see what action
your government has or hasn’t taken. If
they have signed the UN Declaration and have a National Action Plan, please send this letter.
If they have signed the Declaration but do not have a National Action
Plan please send this letter. If you government has not signed the
Declaration and does not have a National Action Plan then please send this letter.
2. Get Cross! Take part in the UN’s global campaign by taking a picture of people
with their arms in the shape of a cross. (Please try to include the Soroptimist
International logo in your photo which is available in the members’ area.) An example is below. You can add your photo
to the Stop Rape Now global photo map and share it on facebook, twitter, blogs
and other social media to show support and spread awareness.
Share your
photo at: www.stoprapenow.org/get-cross
3. Speak
Out! Make contact with your local media and
raise the profile of sexual violence in conflict. Write a letter to the editor,
discuss the subject on blogs and club websites. Everything we say will help
break the silence and mobilise the public to keep the pressure on governments
to bring an end to sexual violence in conflict.
4. Educate to Empower! Educate yourself and others by
hosting an event on sexual violence in conflict. You can use films, news
articles, and other media to engage your audience on this critical subject. You can access films on sexual violence in conflict
at: witness.org/ and www.irinnews.org/film. You may want to help support other organisations
helping victims and survivors of sexual violence in conflict, and host a joint
event. Here is a list of organisations who support the Stop Rape Now
campaign: www.stoprapenow.org/ngo-links/
Thank you for participating with this global call to
advocacy. By signing and sending the relevant letter contained in this Advocacy
Focus, participating in the Stop Rape Now campaign, and raising awareness
around this issue, you will become part of the global movement to bring an end
to sexual violence in conflict. This is a critical issue that affects too many
countries and too many people across the world. Please use the information
contained within this Advocacy Focus to inspire your own SI events to help
mobilise people in your own community and beyond! Now is the time to act.
Advocacy Focus Letters and Information
- Letter for countries who have not signed the Declaration here.
- Letter for countries who have signed the Declaration but do not have a National Action Plan here.
- Letter for countries who have signed the Declaration and have a National Action Plan here.
- List of which countries have/have not signed the Declaration, and who have/have not got National Action Plans here.
- Frequently asked questions about the content of the advocacy letters here.
- Additional information about current and past conflicts which have seen the use of sexual violence in conflict here.
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