Sunday 16 March 2014

Sexual and gender-based violence who can take the blame?




Generally, war and conflict damages societies, town or cities. It spoils the life of women, men and children. Moreover, it leads to the people’s displacement or refuge. But, most badly it exposes women to sexual and gender-based violence. Therefore, people should eliminate sexual and gender-based violence against women.

It is obvious that during conflict women face sexual violence such as rape or molestation.  This violence imposes physical, psychological, social or sexual harm. Women’s bodies become a battleground over which a disputed parties struggle. They humiliate women, the helpless innocent victim of war in apparent absence of the role of law within the conflict zones.  Therefore, many resolutions have been mandated by the UN Security Council to eradicate violence against women such as 1325(2000) and 1820(2008) which recognize that “rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or a constitutive with respect to genocide”[1]  This act obliges us, the advocate of gender mainstreaming to take stand and support women who are suffering the consequence of any disputes.

On the other hand, gender based violence is not only restricted to women.  It refers to the fact that whether being male or female is subjected to attacks or threats.  In other words, a person gender is addressed according to the societal and relationships between feminine and masculine within specific group.  It is, therefore, our duty to end this status quo of violence against women.

 Finally, tackling the issue of violence against women and calling for women empowerment   is usually confronted with traditions and stereotypes a matter which hardens the task for the advocates and demands a courageous stand to fulfill this noble task.

Written by Osman Suliman


[1] - Cited in the course leaflet of  Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325(2000) in Africa. 

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