Actions taken:
The EU, its Member States and National Red Cross Societies are concerned about the critical humanitarian issue of sexual and gender-based violence during times of armed conflict and in the aftermath of disasters and other emergencies. Sexual and gender-based violence destroys local communities and infringes international human rights law and international humanitarian law, as applicable.
In the framework of its Comprehensive Approach to Implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 on Women, Peace and Security, the EU and its Member States will prioritise the implementation of its Guide to Practical Actions at EU level for Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict, adopted at the end of 2014. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the EU and its Member States will undertake actions in the areas of prevention, support, protection and accountability, in contexts of conflict prevention, crisis response and humanitarian aid, and will promote cooperation in the multilateral fora, ensuring strong reporting and transparency to guarantee accountability, support of victims and the sharing of good practice. The EU also recently adopted a Joint EU Gender Action Plan which will set the framework for action for all EU’s external services and that includes clear actions regarding response and prevention of GBV in emergencies, including capacity building of different actors, endorsement of international guidelines and the Call to Action Road Map.
The EU will report twice a year on progress made on the actions suggested in this Guide.
EU Member States and National Red Cross Societies will, according to their respective mandates,
- a) raise awareness of the issues, including the causes and effects, of sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict, disasters and other emergencies, through dissemination of and training in international humanitarian law and/or other humanitarian education activities; and
- b) work together, as appropriate, to raise awareness of the issues of sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict, disasters and other emergencies, and the policies, systems, and mechanisms necessary to prevent and mitigate this violence;
- c) support the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence’s (Zainab Hawa Bangura) work and efforts to improve the international community’s response to sexual and gender based violence in conflicts, disaster and other emergencies across the world;
- d) explore opportunities to share lessons and knowledge learnt through responding to sexual violence in times of conflict that may be applicable to other situations, such as disasters and other humanitarian emergencies;
- e) promote the International Protocol on the Documentation and investigation of Sexual Violence as a tool for States and local actors to investigate and record sexual violence crimes; and
- f) continue supporting prevention and response activities related to sexual and gender based violence.
The EU and its Member States actively promote the role of women in peace and security and are fully committed to the implementation the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions, which frame the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Twenty EU Member States are Party to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence which applies in times of peace and in situations of armed conflict.
The fight against gender based and sexual violence has been a top priority in national Action Plans and national strategies to prevent and combat violence against women and for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325, which includes actions strengthening protection of women and girls from all types of conflict-related violence.
At the national level, the EU Member States encouraged the implementation of resolution 1325 in international bodies/organisations, including the UN, and NATO, and supported regional organisations in the development of regional Action Plans on the implementation of resolution 1325.
The EU and its Member States conducted a series of joint advocacy activities related to gender based violence in conflict and other emergency situations. They also supported a series of events, seminars and conferences with a thematic focus on the prosecution of sexual violence in national and international contexts, enabling implementation of Women, Peace and Security mandates in peacekeeping operations.
The EU Member States supported, including through voluntary contributions, the work of the UN Special Representative on sexual violence in conflicts, as well as other UN bodies, i.e. the UN Women programme. More generally, the EU Member States have strived to integrate a gender perspective in the work of the UN Security Council, advocating for gender parity and the inclusion of women in political processes.
Awareness raising activities on gender based violence have also been carried out, including through cooperation with the National Red Cross societies. Training on sexual violence in armed conflict issues destined to the general public has been provided. A series of training packages on gender, diversity, protection and sexual and gender based violence has been developed. Some Member States have also funded studies on gender-based violence in disasters and carried out a number of projects aimed at preventing sexual violence in dozens of countries.
Comprehensive training on sexual based violence in conflict regions, sexual exploitation and abuse and inclusive mediation in peace operations was provided to military, police and civilian personnel.
The EU and its Member States promoted the International Protocol on the Documentation and investigation of Sexual Violence, using it to provide capacity building to practitioners in various countries.
On the policy front, the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid stresses the need to integrate gender considerations, including protection strategies against sexual and gender-based violence, in humanitarian response. It highlights the importance of promoting the participation of crisis-affected women, girls, boys, and men in the design, implementation and evaluation of humanitarian actions.
In 2016, the European Commission issued a new policy on protection, ‘Humanitarian Protection: Improving protection outcomes to reduce risks for people in humanitarian crises’ that includes further guidance for the programming of protection activities, including on gender-based violence. Ensuring that gender is taken into consideration in the EU’s humanitarian aid is also included in the ‘European Union Gender Action Plan 2016-2020’, setting out the framework for action for all activities on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the EU’s external relations.
In September 2017 the EU launched a major new initiative to be implemented by the UN – the ‘Spotlight Initiative’. The New European Consensus On Development ‘Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future’ identifies the promotion of women’s rights and the empowerment of women and girls as a priority. Specific clauses on Gender are under negotiation in a number of Agreements with third countries.
From June 2017 to December 2018, the EU led the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies. The Call to Action is a global initiative, which brings together 82 partners, including States and donors, international organisations and NGOs aiming to drive change and foster accountability in the humanitarian system to address GBV. The Call to Action Road Map 2016-2020 sets out an operational framework with common objectives for the humanitarian community. The EU has been an active member of the Call to Action since its creation in 2013. It has made a number of individual pledges under the Call to Action Road Map, focussing on policy dissemination, and ensuring that available funding supports the implementation process.
As lead of the Call to Action, the EU organised a number of global awareness-raising events in Brussels, Geneva and New York, and undertook continuous outreach to existing and potential new partners to strengthen the Call to Action partnership. For instance, a high-level panel debate on preventing, mitigating and responding to GBV in humanitarian crises was held during the 2018 European Development days. A public event held in the margins of the annual Call to Action Partners Meeting, in June 2018, discussed challenges and opportunities in responding to GBV in emergencies, while raising awareness of the efforts deployed by the Call to Action partnership to address the issue in different settings.
During its leadership of the Call to Action, the EU advocated untiringly for the key importance of collective action in prevention and response to GBV in emergencies. From June 2017 to December 2018, the EU welcomed 18 new partners to the Call to Action, including five EU Member States.
Through its Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), the EU also funds actions contributing to the prevention, support, protection and accountability related to sexual and gender-based violence during times of armed conflict or in the aftermath of disasters and other emergencies, which are implemented by organisations such a UN Women, OSCE or Cooperation for Peace and Unity.
