NCJ Number
218240
Date Published
2007
Length
139 pages
Annotation
With the intent to raise awareness and provoke action, this report utilizes graphic photography and powerful testimonies to identify the scale of violence faced by girls and women in conflicts all over the world and charts the progress made in international law to protect women’s rights and convict perpetrators of rape and sexual violence.
Abstract
Addressing gender-based violence, in this case violence against women is a challenge whether during peacetime or war. Addressing this crisis requires a response that includes immediate support measures for victims; access to legal services; and global, national, and local advocacy to tackle embedded belief systems and social structures that discriminate against women and girls and allow sexual violence to continue intently. Governments, donors, and humanitarian agencies desperately need to harness the necessary resources, both human and financial, to eliminate gender-based violence in all forms and ensure that women and children can live in safety and dignity. This report presents graphic personal stories and statistics that expose the extent of these violations that define countless women’s and girls’ everyday existence. The report is divided into six distinct chapters: sexual violence against women and girls in conflict, understanding rape and sexual violence in war, sexual violence and international law, sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers and aid workers, seeking post-conflict justice, and the humanitarian responsibility to protect.