This working paper considers ways to enhance the capacity of UN agencies, host governments, donors and civil society to prevent and respond to sexual violence against women displaced by conflict. From March-May 2010, the Civil Society Advisory Group to the UN on Women, Peace and Security (CSAG) reviewed a wide variety of reports and projects, engaged in three-dozen interviews and held group discussions with UN officials, government representatives and women’s groups, including from affected countries.
This report presents key findings that emerged from the research, including identification of gaps in coverage of services, coordination and implementation of guidelines. It also provides key recommendations that should be part of an action agenda to address these difficulties.
Key Findings:
- The UN operational guidance on sexual violence in displacement is often excellent, but the knowledge of these guidelines is incomplete and the implementation is even weaker.
- Displaced women are rarely engaged as planners, implementers and beneficiaries of programs to address sexual violence.
- System-wide institutional coordination structures within the UN to address sexual violence in situation of displacement are inadequate. On the ground, uncertain coordination and division of responsibilities in addressing sexual violence results in inadequate leadership, wasted resources, and gaps in services.
- A comprehensive approach to psychosocial services to displaced women is rarely adopted. Insufficient attention is given to displaced women in flight, in urban/rural settings outside of camps, and during return or resettlement processes.
Recommendations:
- In each new and existing situation of substantial conflict-related displacement, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator should negotiate a situation-specific memorandum of understanding among UN agencies, implementing bodies, humanitarian NGOs, host governments and affected women delineating which group is responsible for each principal service related to preventing and responding to sexual violence, such as livelihoods, camp management and design, education, psycho-social assistance and provision of fuel for cooking.
- Women refugee and internally displaced persons (IDPs) must be fully incorporated in all protection and response programs, under the concept, “nothing about us without us.” Lead UN agencies should help establish committees of affected women to serve as interlocutors with international and host government actors.
- Lead negotiators of peace processes and heads of peace agreement implementation bodies should insist that women in general, and refugee and IDP women in particular, have a seat at the table and are empowered to play their full role in such processes.
- A comprehensive approach should incorporate psycho-social aspects throughout the interaction of humanitarian workers with displaced women, not just focused on those who have suffered sexual abuse.
- International and national security forces should have a rapid reaction capability to respond to urgent and impending situations involving large-scale sexual violence. Robust mandates and rules of engagement in this regard should be included in all UN Security Council resolutions authorising peacekeeping forces. International and national security forces should be trained to provide this support, in addition to more comprehensive training in human rights and civilian protection services. Host governments, countries providing peacekeeping forces, and the DPKO should establish and implement accountability provisions to end impunity for abuses within their own forces.
