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Rape as a Weapon or Tactic of Armed Conflict

Cape Town, , 27 and 28 August 2012

Resolution

Rape is being used as a major and effective weapon or tactic to accomplish military objectives in armed conflicts worldwide. Sexual violence against women and girls is used to destroy communities, ethnic populations, and sometimes to accomplish genocide.

While it is difficult to know the extent of rape in conflict; what is known is shocking. Statistics, show that between 250 000 and 500 000 women were raped during the genocide in Rwanda in the course of 100 days and between 5 000 and 20 000 children were born as a result of rape. Local health centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo estimated that about 40 women are raped in the South Kivu region every day. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) estimates that for every rape reported, there are 30 that are not reported.

Further, these statistics are only of survivors of rape, and does not include the numerous women and who die from rape during conflict. One reason that the numbers of women injured and killed by rape are so scarce is that rape is not treated as the unlawful weapon of war that it is by states and major global weapons monitors such as the ICRC. Consequently, injuries and deaths to women and girls from rape in armed conflict are not tracked like other injuries to civilians from other weapons.

In UN Security Council resolution (SCR) 1325 in 2000 the Security Council (SC) addressed sexual violence in armed conflict as a threat to global peace and security, and mandated that all states take specific actions to address this problem. First and foremost, the SC required that all states ensure the equal treatment of women and that guarantees under international humanitarian law and law are complied with and enforced for women, including the Geneva Conventions and CEDAW. Accordingly, this includes the obligations of all states under international humanitarian law to end impunity for war crimes, and prevent and stop conflict. Furthermore, this resolution commits the UN system and UN member countries to ensure that countries in conflict comply with the laws of war, act to end the use of sexual violence, prosecute all violations of the laws of war, and not grant amnesty to perpetrators.

SCR 1325 is intended to ensure women have more, not less rights, that the laws of war are equally enforced for them, and that measures are taken to ensure that women are part of peace processes, transitional justice mechanisms and post-conflict governments. SCR 1325 has been followed by several resolutions which reinforce and strengthen the rights of women during armed conflict, including against sexual violence in conflict; SCRs 1820, 1888, 1889, and 1960. Women believes that social democratic countries should take on a leadership role in ensuring that the SCR 1325 and other related resolutions and the laws of war that they are based on are actually utilized and are enforced.

To strengthen women’s opportunities for health care and freedom from sexual abuse, it is important that we examine how women are not receiving the medical care they are entitled to and seek to join with other countries in remedying this any deficiencies.

The health sector has an important role to play in terms of preventive measures, treatment and rehabilitation. Women who are victims of sexual violence or rape require urgent medical treatment and follow-up. Socialist International Women believes that access to safe abortion must be a part of the treatment provided to these victims. According to the Global Justice Center, the practice of some humanitarian aid organizations prevents the provision of safe abortion service to rape victims in conflict, which contravenes the rights of these women under international humanitarian law and specific EU regulations which provide that safe abortion should be a part of the treatment accorded to these victims.

However, the government, including through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), places strict restrictions on how U.S. humanitarian aid is used and distributed. One of these restrictions is that U.S. funded health centers cannot provide abortions for women, including to women raped in conflict. For Socialist International Women, it is important that aid money will provide comprehensive medical care for women during conflict, and that the option of abortion should be offered to those victims of sexual violence who want one. Socialist International Women requires that all countries recognize that girls and women raped in armed conflict have the right to the option of abortion.

Furthermore, Socialist International Women believes that sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, and is not merely a side product of war violence, but rather, that it is used deliberately and strategically to destabilize communities and achieve military objectives.

Socialist International Women requires that:

- The use of sexual violence used as an illegal tactic and weapon of war is put on the international agenda;

- International aid organizations that provide health care for women in conflict-affected areas, to provide abortions for women who have been raped, as they are entitled to under the Geneva Conventions;

- Rape is included on the list of unlawful weapons of war under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)

- Prohibitions on the use of sexual violence as an illegal tactic and weapon of war are enforced so as to hold states civilly accountable, and high officials criminally responsible for its use.

National Member Organizations

A Just Russia Party Federation of Social Democratic Women, African Party for Solidarity and Justice, ASF, Social of Germany, ADEMA-PASJ SPD African Party of 's Independence, Feminist Commission, Democratic Socialists PAICV of America, DSA African Party of Independence of Guinea and Forum for Gender Equality, Party Cape Verde, PAIGC (consultative status) (consultative status) Akbayan, Citizen's Action Party (consultative Frodebu (observer status) status) Inter-Federal Women's Commission, Socialist Alternative Democratic Force, PDA (observer Party, PS status) of Kenya (observer status) ANC Women's League, African National Labour Party Women, The Labour Party Congress, ANC Labour Women Action, AMT, Democratic Antigua Labor Party (consultative status) Labour Party, PDT Australian Labor Women's Network, Labour Women's National Council, The , ALP Labour Party Austrian Social Democratic Women, Social Lithuanian Social Democratic Women's Democratic Party of Austria, SPÖ Union, Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, Belarusian Party of Labour (observer status) LSDP Belarusian Women's League, Belarusian MAN Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Mauritius Militant Movement, MMM Hramada) BSDP (consultative status) Movement for Democratic Change, MDC Commission for Equality, Social Democratic Movement for , MAS Party Movement for the Liberation of the Central Commission for Gender and Equality, New African People, MLPC (observer status) Space, NE National Department of Socialist Women, CPDS Women's Organisation, Convergence , PS for Social , CPDS National Federation of Social Democratic Democratic Forum for Labour and Freedom, Women in Latvia, Latvian Social Democratic FDTL Workers' Party, LSDSP (observer status) Alliance, SLD National Federation of Social Democratic Democratic Left Party, PID Women in , SSKF, Swedish Social Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, PDKI Democratic Party, SAP (consultative status) National Movement of Socialist Women, Democratic Party of Socialists of , Socialist Party of Senegal, PS DPS National Organisation for Women, Liberal Democratic Socialist Women of the Party of Colombia, PLC Philippines, Philippines Democratic Socialist National Secretariat for Women, Socialist Party, PDSP (observer status) Union of Popular Forces, USFP Dominica Labour Women, Dominica Labour National Secretariat for Women's Affairs, Party (observer status) , FFS Dominican Federation of Social Democratic National Secretariat for Women's Rights, Women, FEDOMUSDE, Dominican Socialist Party, PS Revolutionary Party, PRD National Social Democratic Party, NSDP (consultative status) National Union for Hope, UNE National Union of Saharawi Women, UNMS, Social Democratic and Labour Party Women, (observer status) Social Democratic and Labour Party, SDLP National Women's Organisation, ONMPRI, Social Democratic Front, SDF Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI Social Democratic Party, SDE National Women's Organisation, Radical Social Democratic Women of Albania, Social Social Democratic Party, PRSD Democratic Party, PSD (observer status) National Women's Secretariat, Democratic Social Democratic Women in Finland, Action, AD Finnish Social Democratic Party, SDP National Women's Secretariat, Party for Social Democratic Women of Switzerland, Democracy, PPD Social Democratic Party of Switzerland, Nepal Women's Association, SP/PS Party Social Democratic Women, Czech Social Organisation of Mozambican Women, OMM, Democratic Party, CSSD Frelimo Party Social Democratic Women, Social Democratic Organisation of the People in Struggle, OPL Party, PSD (observer status) Social Democratic Women's Confederation, Organisationof Angolan Women, OMA, Bulgarian Social , PBSD Popular Movement for the Liberation of Social Democratic Women's Forum, Social , MPLA Democratic Party, SDP País Solidario Party Socialist Women, Luxembourg Socialist Palestinian National Initiative, PNI Workers' Party, LSAP/POSL (consultative status) Socialist Women's Forum, Socialist Party of Participation of Women Committee, New Albania, SPA Democratic Party/Nouveau Parti Socialist Women's Movement, Movement of Démocratique, NDP/NPD Social Democrats EDEK Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (observer status) Party, PDP/PS (observer status) Tarayya Women's Organisation, OFT, Party People's Electoral Movement, MEP for Democracy and Socialism of Niger, PNDS PNP Women's Movement, People's National The Women's Arm, Unity Labour Party Party, PNP (observer status) (observer status) PODEMOS (consultative status) Ukrainian Roses, Social Democratic Party of Progressive Democratic Party, PDP Ukraine, SDPU (consultative status) (consultative status) Union for Democracy and Social Progress, Progressive Women's Movement, MFP, UDPS (observer status) Gabonese Party for Progress, PGP Union of Haitian Social Democrats (consultative status) Union of Labour, UP (observer status) Puerto Rican Independence Party, PIP Union of Progressive Women in Lebanon, San Marino Party of Socialists and Democrats, Progressive Socialist Party, PSP PSD Union of Socialist Women for Parity and Secretariat for Equality, Spanish Socialist Solidarity, Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP Workers' Party, PSOE Union of Socialist Women of Chile, Socialist Secretariat for Gender Policies, Social Party of Chile, PS Democratic Party of Andorra, PS United Democratic Party (consultative status) SIUMUT (observer status) Women Democrats, Congress of Democrats, SMER – CoD (observer status) Social Democracy - Mongolian Women's Women in the PvdA, Labour Party, PvdA Association, Mongolian People's Party, MPP Women's Alliance, Hungarian Social Democratic Party, MSzDP Women's Assembly, Peace and Democracy Women's Organisation, Democratic Party, BDP (consultative status) Convention of African Peoples, CDPA Women's Branch, Republican People's Party, (consultative status) CHP Women's organisation, Democratic Party, Women's Central Committee, Malta Labour PDM Party (observer status) Women's Organisation, Guinean People's Women's Commission, Assembly of Assembly, RPG Democratic Forces, RFD Women's Organisation, Republican Turkish Women's Commission, Italian Socialist Party, Party, CTP (consultative status) PSI Women's Organisation, Social Democratic Women's Commission, Sandinista National Alliance Liberation Front, FSLN Women's Organisation, Social Democratic Women's Committee, ARF Armenian Party, PSD Socialist Party Women's Organisation, Social Democratic Women's Council, New Zealand of , SDSM (observer status) Party, NZLP (observer status) Women's Organisation, Socialist Party of Women's Council, , UCR Uruguay, PSU Women's Council, SWAPO Women's Policy Unit, Democrats of the Left, Women's Department, Panhellenic Socialist DS Movement, PASOK Women's Political Action, Peruvian Aprista Women's Department, Social Democratic Party, PAP Party, SDP Women's Secretariat, Egyptian Social Women's Department, , Democratic Party, ESDP (consultative status) YSP Women's Secretariat, Party of Democratic Women's Forum, Democratic Party, DS Revolution, PRD Women's Forum, Social Democratic Party of Women's Secretariat, Socialist Party, PS , SDP BiH Women's Section, , Women's Forum, Social Democratic Party of DAP Montenegro, SDP Women's Section, Hungarian Socialist Party, Women's Forum, Social Democratic Party of MSzP , SDP (observer status) Women's Section, Israel Labour Party Women's Forum, Social Democrats, SD (observer status) (observer status) Women's Union of the PUK, Patriotic Union Women's Front, Democratic Revolutionary of Kurdistan, PUK Party, PRD Women's Union, Assembly for Mali, RPM Women's League, , Women's Wing, Ata Meken (observer status) BLP (observer status) Women's Wing, Pakistan People's Party, PPP Women's League, Botswana , Women's Wing, WW, National Democratic BNF (observer status) Congress, NDC Women's League, Mauritius Labour Party Working Women's Organisation, St. Lucia Women's Movement, National Liberation Labour Party, SLP (observer status) Party, PLN Zij-Kant, Socialist Party, SP.A Women's Network, Norwegian Labour Party, DNA

Fraternal Organisations

International Falcon Movement/Socialist Education International, IFM/SEI International Union of Socialist Youth, IUSY Socialist International, SI

Associated Organisations

Group of the of Socialists and Democrats in the International League of Religious Socialists, ILRS International Social Democratic Union for Education, ISDUE Party of European Socialists, PES