The United Nations Must Act Now To Help End Rape in Conflict Zones

The United Nations adopted Security Council Resolution 1820, its commitment to end sexual and gender-based violence, in June 2008. But efforts to date have been insufficient and frequently ineffective, said Janet Meyers, senior technical advisor for sexual and reproductive health in emergencies for CARE.

"The systematic rape of women in every attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo is an outrage. Community members and the humanitarian community have been calling for action and assistance to end this violence for years now," said Meyers, who is currently working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with CARE's health and gender-based violence team. "It is appalling that these attacks continue to occur with the same frequency."

Protection and support for survivors of sexual violence often are woefully inadequate, and access to humanitarian services and legal redress is limited by ongoing violence, poverty and social stigma. Until now, the United Nations' discussions have focused on the important issues of impunity and security, but neglected to address how they will help survivors with basic health care and safety, rights granted under international humanitarian law.

Drawing on our work in conflict zones worldwide, CARE and experts from the humanitarian community outlined 15 major steps the United Nations must take to end sexual violence in conflict, in particular:

• Better coordination: We call for the appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary General on Women, Peace and Security to drive coordination of the system-wide response to sexual violence in armed conflict. 
• Better access to humanitarian assistance: Basic health and psychosocial care must be implemented for the women, men and children who have survived rape. This assistance is essential to achieving Resolution 1820's aims of prevention and response.
• Better prevention: More female military, police and U.N. staff are needed to encourage female victims of sexual violence to come forward, and there must be an increased mandate and training for U.N. peacekeepers to intervene in security matters inside camps for displaced people. Addressing underlying causes of sexual- and gender-based violence by challenging gender and sexual norms and practices is necessary for the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1820 and its predecessor, Resolution 1325.
• Better data collection: Reliable data is key to addressing sexual violence and ending impunity, but experience shows that the best data is collected while offering safe, confidential humanitarian assistance to affected people.

"All aspects of the 15 practical steps for immediate action are desperately needed, first, to provide unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance, such as long-term, adequate medical services and psychosocial care to survivors and their families and communities, and, then, to prosecute perpetrators," said Meyers. "Our world has a history of rape as a weapon of war, and it must stop. If we use the 15 steps as a roadmap, we can make a huge difference in the lives of women, children and men in conflicts around the world."

For more information, or interviews with Janet Meyers in DRC, please contact:
Melanie Brooks (in Geneva): +41.79.590.30.47, brooks@care.org
Kate Hunt (in New York): +1.917.332.8115, hunt@ny.care.org