Margot Wallström

Ending Rape as a War Tactic

2012-06-27T08:32:38-04:00

For the first time ever, the declaration issued by participating Heads of State and Government at the NATO Summit in Chicago last month included a paragraph on sexual and gender-widespread violence. This is not only a recognition of the changing nature of conflict, but also an acknowledgement by NATO of the importance of the role of women and girls in building sustainable peace.

Sexual violence in conflict is a serious, present-day crisis affecting millions of people around the world. It is used by political and military leaders to achieve political, military and economic ends, destroying the very fabric of society. Practically every day, the UN system receives reports from the field about sexual violence used as a tool or tactic of war. It is a silent, cheap and effective weapon with serious and long-lasting effects, affecting both the individual and the chances of building an enduring peace. Acts of sexual violence do not only maim its victims mentally and physically, but they sow the seeds of destruction of an entire community: female survivors in some instances become pregnant, often get infected with sexually-transmitted diseases including HIV/Aids, and are regularly rejected by their own families. There is a lingering myth that rape is inevitable in times of war. But if sexual violence can be planned, it can be punished; if it can be commanded, it can be condemned.

Ending sexual violence as a tactic of war remains one of the greatest challenges to the protection of human rights. The United Nations Secretary-General's annual report earlier this year was the first to contain a list of 'named and shamed' for crimes of conflict-related sexual violence. The list is the Security Council's most recent tool in the fight against impunity and sends a strong signal to those who tolerate sexual violence that they do so in defiance of international law.

It is positive and encouraging that NATO and the UN are collaborating on this issue. Realizing that sexual violence is a serious impediment to building long-term peace, Heads of State and Government at last month's NATO Summit endorsed a Strategic Progress Report on mainstreaming UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security into NATO-led operations and missions. In order to ensure women's and girls' security in the efforts to develop peace and stability, the Alliance is currently integrating a gender perspective into NATO operations and exercises. Concretely, this will be ensured through training, education, and the appointment and deployment of Gender (Field) Advisors and by creating partnerships with other international and local organizations.

Much still remains to be done in the fight against rape as a tactic of war. Through continued, joint efforts by NATO and the United Nations, we have a good chance of putting an end to this scourge.

Margot Wallström is the former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict

General Sir Richard Shirreff is Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

A Glimmer of Hope for the Women in Congo

2012-05-30T11:17:26-04:00

Editor's Note: May 31 marks Margot Wallström's last day serving as the UN's Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, a position she has held since April 2010.

As my time serving as the first-ever UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict is coming to an end, I remain hopeful that the ongoing fight against sexual violence in conflict ultimately will prevail. During the past two years, I have had the honor to meet extraordinary women and girls in some of the most dangerous places in the world. Not only have they survived horrific acts of sexual violence, but they have also become agents of change to help end such atrocities.

Perhaps the brightest glimmer of hope shining a light in the face of darkness has been the courage shown by Congolese women and girls who have dedicated their lives to ending the culture of impunity and bringing peace to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

One such woman is Denise Siwatula, a young human rights attorney in Goma who works with Synergie, a coalition of organizations providing services to survivors of sexual violence. The Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo campaign has profiled Denise in its new video series, "I Am Congo," that highlights voices from individuals who live amid the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, a place that has been called 'the rape capital' of the world.

Congo has experienced some of the highest levels of sexual violence in the world and the eastern parts are most affected. Rape is frequently used as a weapon of war. In 2010, I travelled to North Kivu in eastern Congo where Denise works, a province which has been ravaged by conflict and widespread sexual violence. A 70-year old woman who shared her story told me how she had tried -- in vain -- to convince the rapists to leave her alone, pointing out to the perpetrators that they could be her own grand-children. Women are not considered to have much value in a society where sexual violence is the norm and justice for perpetrators is the exception. A young woman explained to me that in eastern Congo, "A dead rat is worth more than the body of a woman."

Impunity reigns in the region as most perpetrators of sexual violence acts continue to walk unpunished without any repercussions for their crimes. The absence of justice has long-lasting effects on the whole society and is an impediment to restoring peace and security in the region.

However, the initial steps toward holding perpetrators accountable are encouraging. In less than a year, more than 250 trials of elements of national security forces were held with the assistance of the United Nations. In February 2011, a military court in Baraka handed down a landmark verdict that found Lt. Col. Kibibi Mutware guilty of crimes against humanity including rape. This shows that accountability for sexual violence in Congo is possible.

And that is the dream of Denise. She was one of a handful of women who graduated from her law school class of more than 100 students and has since then devoted her career to bringing justice to victims of sexual violence. Denise embodies another kind of Congolese woman than the one usually portrayed in media: She is strong and determined to continue the fight for justice. Despite the various challenges she faces on a daily basis -- the financial burden on women to maneuver the legal system, the lack of support from authorities, the emotional toll her clients face recounting their story time and again, and the bribery that has become commonplace in Congo's justice system -- she is challenging the status quo with the belief that a better justice system can exist and perpetrators must be held accountable.

Last year, Denise won seven convictions out of the 26 rape cases she tried. However, she continues to fight against the rampant sexual violence in Congo and is an embodiment of the fortitude and resilience of women challenging the assumption of what it's like to live in what has repeatedly been called the rape capital of the world.

Margot Wallström is the UN's Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, former Vice President of the European Commission and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders' Ministerial Initiative.

Historic Transition in Libya Must Not Forget the Survivors of Sexual Violence

2012-03-22T14:57:32-04:00

As the Security Council last week voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN's political mission in Libya, its members expressed their deep concern about sexual violence in the country. The United Nations' mandate includes supporting the government in promoting democracy, restoring public security, and explicitly mentions the monitoring and protection of human rights, particularly those of women and vulnerable groups, which I welcome. It is now crucial that Libya's own role in the country's historic transition must give hope and translate into assistance also for survivors of sexual violence.

We have all been closely following the developments in the Arab world. In Libya, as well as in Egypt, Tunisia and beyond, a brighter future is possible. The political possibilities -- as well as the challenges -- are infinite. Extensive support from the international community is continuously required in order to ensure a democratic society. But when the challenges are described by politicians, journalists and commentators, most fail to mention the most obvious but invisible resource -- the women. Where are the women now? Can they feel safe?

The wide circulation of weapons does not mean that women feel safe; quite the contrary. From experience we know that too often men in uniform carrying weapons use their power to abuse women and children. Preliminary findings from UN monitoring in Libya confirm that both women and men were subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence during the conflict. While women were abducted from their homes, from cars or from the streets and exposed to rape in places unknown to them, men were sodomized in prisons and in places of detention as a means to obtain intelligence. This serves a a reminder of the importance of including sexual violence in the list of possible human rights violations whenever war crimes are being investigated.

Libya still has a long way to go in its democratic transition. The country faces a number of challenges, but most important in terms of addressing sexual violence is to urgently provide appropriate services for survivors. This includes medical, psychosocial and legal support that critically respect survivors' confidentiality and privacy. Otherwise they might never come forward. "If the bleeding had stopped, I would never have reported it," as one Libyan victim of sexual violence said. It is also imperative that conflict-related sexual violence is taken into account in the context of security sector reform, including in the training of Libya's national security forces, It must also be an element of the transitional justice strategy.

In Libya, women took active part in and contributed to Libya's revolution -- and the country's future must continue to involve them. Because a new order cannot be built without the active participation of women. Transitional governments must also have women's representation, new Constitutions must include equality and also guarantee women's rights.

We cannot reverse the irreversible. But we can reinforce efforts to monitor, prevent and prosecute. Much still remains to be done in the fight against rape as a tactic of war. With the help of the Security Council, I will continue to push for an end to impunity and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice - also in Libya. In this fight, I count on the Security Council's willingness to be prepared to use all means available.

Margot Wallström is UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Naming and Shaming Sexual Violence

2012-02-21T12:59:49-05:00

Sexual violence in conflict is a serious, present-day crisis affecting millions of people around the world. Ending sexual violence as a tactic of war remains one of the greatest challenges to the protection of human rights. The UN Secretary-General's annual report this week is the first to contain a list of 'named and shamed' for crimes of conflict-related sexual violence. The list is the Security Council's most recent tool in the fight against impunity and sends a strong signal to those who tolerate sexual violence that they do so in defiance of international law.

Some of the individual stories included in the report are nothing but heart wrenching. In Syria, testimonies were received from men who stated they had been abused sexually and had witnessed teenage boys get raped. And in Libya, women were abducted from their homes, from cars or from the streets and were raped in places unknown to them, while men were sodomized in prisons and in places of detention as a means to obtain intelligence.

It is positive and encouraging that the Security Council continues to be seized of the issue of sexual violence in conflict. I am, however, gravely alarmed about the incessant violations of human rights, including the high rate of conflict-related rape, across the globe. Of particular concern is the fact that many of the reported cases of sexual violence seem to have been perpetrated by national security forces -- the very same people who have a mandate to protect their own citizens. Whereas the uniform should symbolize security, discipline and public service, in too many places it instead represents rape, pillage and terror.

Another concern is the use of sexual violence, or the threat thereof, as a tool of political repression in the context of elections and civil unrest. We also know of examples of different forms of sexual violence being employed in detention centers and at border crossings in several conflict situations.

Conflict-related sexual violence is used by political and military leaders to achieve political, military and economic ends, destroying the very fabric of society. It is a silent, cheap and effective weapon with serious and long-lasting effects, affecting both the individual and the chances of building a sustainable peace. There is a lingering myth that rape is inevitable in times of war. But if sexual violence can be planned, it can be punished; if it can be commanded, it can be condemned.

Impunity remains a major concern in many countries. That is why I have made fighting impunity for crimes of conflict-related sexual violence a priority. We have seen that this is starting to yield results, for example in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): In less than a year, more than 250 trials of elements of national security forces were held with the assistance of the United Nations. This resulted in more than 150 individuals being sentenced for rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Much still remains to be done in the fight against rape as a tactic of war. With the help of the Security Council, I will continue to push for an end to impunity and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. In this fight, I count on the Security Council's willingness to be prepared to use all means available.

Margot Wallström is UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict

Unique Chance for South Sudan to Herald Women's Rights

2011-07-06T15:14:39-04:00

On July 9th, South Sudan will declare its independence, becoming Africa's newest nation. The challenges it faces are many. 50 years of war and conflict have seriously undermined the capacity of institutions at all levels to provide justice. Scores of cases of human rights violations and abuses, including sexual violence have remained uninvestigated,
unprosecuted or unpunished.

Conflict-related sexual violence is one of history's greatest silences. In South Sudan as elsewhere, it brings stigmatization and rejection, diseases and reproductive health issues, psychological trauma and unwanted pregnancies, and damages the entire social fabric. It has held communities hostage by preventing women from participating in public and economic life, and undertaking many chores common to rural life, from gathering water and wood, to working in the fields to sustain their families. It has kept girls away from school, and reinforced gender discrimination.

At this formative moment, survivors of sexual violence regard the birth of the nation of South Sudan with hope, anxiously awaiting proof that the new institutions will help address such injustices and prevent future violations.

Last March, my office received a request from the Government of South Sudan to assist in the drafting of the country's transitional constitution with a special focus on prevention and response to sexual violence. UN Security Council resolution 1888 of 2009 gives me the mandate to dispatch a Team of Experts on the Rule of Law to do exactly this.

During its just concluded visit to South Sudan, the Team had one major focus: Securing the rights of victims of conflict-related sexual violence - including recommending what South Sudan authorities must do to prevent the recurrence of such crimes in the future. The Team focused on the Bill of Rights, women's participation in public and political life, and the rule of
law and accountability - issues central to the rule of law as it relates to sexual violence in conflict. Those they met with underscored that rape by armed individuals is a prevalent facet of life, closely followed by limited awareness of the rights of individuals, and lack of access to justice forsurvivors.

I welcome the Government of South Sudan's commitment to address the issue of sexual violence in its draft constitution. The Team of Experts made a number of recommendations in this regard, including the elaboration of a separate article obligating the Government to enact laws to combat sexual violence, and ensuring that customs and traditions as sources of
legislation should only apply if they are in conformity with the Bill of Rights. In addition I would encourage the inclusion of a provision on extradition, as well as a general provision on international cooperation in criminal matters. The government has taken commendable measures to ensure women's participation in public and political life. To reinforce this
important commitment, the government may wish to specifically stipulate the participation of women at 25-30 percent, across all institutions, agencies and commissions, and at all levels. It is also important that women not be held to a higher qualification standard than men.

In the spirit of universal accountability, crimes under international law should be excluded from amnesty under all circumstances, including where senior government officials or military high command are implicated. Formulating Codes of Conduct for the police, the armed forces and the national security service, etc, that reflect zero tolerance for sexual
violence is critical.

South Sudan has a unique opportunity to establish a constitutional foundation that places women and the family centrally in the birth of a new nation. By heralding women's rights, and particularly their protection from sexual violence, the Government of South Sudan will send an unequivocal message. The world is looking towards South Sudan on this historic
occasion. It's an opportunity not to be missed.

Margot Wallström is UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

The War in Congo Waged on the Bodies of Women and Girls

2011-03-08T00:00:00-05:00

On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, March 8, ending sexual violence as a war weapon remains one of the greatest challenges to the protection of women's human rights. Whether the survivor is an eight-year-old girl or an 80-year-old grandmother, we must know that the UN is doing all we can to end this scourge.

I recently visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and met with women survivors of sexual violence during the war in the Balkans. Still today, 15 years after the war, women live without justice. One woman, who together with her then 21-year-old daughter, was held in a rape camp in Bosnia during the war, told me that she runs into her rapist in the local supermarket or at the bank. And still unpunished, he laughs at her. The estimated 20,000 -- 50,000 rapes have resulted in only 12 convictions in national courts.

But perhaps nowhere is the issue more prevalent than in the Democratic Republic of Congo, ground zero in the fight against sexual violence in conflict. In recent history it is difficult to find a case where sexual assault and violence has been as inextricably linked to the perpetuation of conflict and destruction of communities. Unraveling the complexities behind the drivers of this conflict, and reducing the systematic violence is a test case for the international community.

At the crux of this test is ending the culture of impunity to create an environment where communities can recover from conflict. This is why I have made ending impunity for this type of crimes my number one priority.

On a recent trip to Washington, I met with American governmental and non-governmental leaders working on issues related to sexual violence and conflict in Congo, and elsewhere in central Africa. Whether at the White House, the State Department, or on Capitol Hill, policy makers expressed a sense of urgency about reducing violence in eastern Congo. I impressed on them the need to address the root causes. This means regulating the trade in conflict minerals that acts as an economic fuel to the conflict; creating the political will to reform the Congolese national army from predator to protector; and tackling impunity for war criminals and illegal actors that continues to enable those most responsible for mass atrocities.

The United States, in its role on the UN Security Council, recently demonstrated strong leadership on the passage of UN Resolution 1960, which requires the Council and member states to honor commitments to combat sexual violence in conflict, investigate abuses, and hold perpetrators to account. I encourage the United States to continue to lead on this issue by developing its strategy to tackle the root causes of sexual violence and other human rights crimes in eastern Congo.

The United States is the largest contributor to the UN Mission to Congo, or MONUSCO, and the first country to pass a law monitoring publically traded companies using minerals mined in eastern Congo or its neighbors in an effort to reduce the direct or indirect financing of illegal armed groups. Its Departments of Defense and State are engaged in initiatives to build capacity through military professionalism and justice training.

However, without continued leadership at senior levels within the U.S. government and a more robust international effort, these contributions cannot alone deliver a durable peace. Following this model of U.S. leadership, I have pushed for legislation on conflict minerals in Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, and the European Union. Canada is in the process of trying to pass similar legislation. Such action would send a strong signal to armed groups and the traders of conflict minerals, and gain leverage to begin changing the economic calculus of the criminal networks driving conflict in central Africa.

The international community must commit to ending this war waged on the bodies of women and girls. The global trade in conflict minerals that sustains sexual violence and other ongoing mass atrocities in eastern Congo connects us all. These minerals are found in our cell phones, laptops and digital cameras: the technology that advances our communications, commerce, social networking and national security.

During the Nuremberg trials following World War II, the sexual violence inflicted on survivors was deemed unspeakable. For too long, sexual violence in conflict has been seen as inevitable. We must end this distorted outlook, replace our vocabulary and start treating these crimes like other human rights abuses. Let us make sexual violence in conflict unthinkable and unacceptable.

Margot Wallström is the UN's Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, former Vice President of the European Commission and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders' Ministerial Initiative.

Women We Need: Towards a More Female-centred Foreign Policy

2009-01-08T12:02:20-05:00

The recent nomination by incoming President Barack Obama of Senator Hillary Clinton as the next Secretary of State and Susan Rice as the new US Ambassador to the UN confirms that more countries are choosing to appoint females to lead their countries in the international arena. Since Madeleine Albright became U.S. Secretary of State in 1996, the USA has been represented overseas by a woman for eight years out of twelve. And in Africa, there are eight female Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The image of Carme Chacón, Spain's defence minister, inspecting the troops while eight months pregnant crystallised this image of change. But out of 27 Defence Ministers in the EU, only four are women. For Ministers for Foreign Affairs, the gender balance is even worse, with only two females.

We may have accepted in principle that politics should include both women and men, but this has not been adequately applied to foreign and security policy. A recent report by Operation 1325, a Swedish umbrella organisation working for women and peace, revealed that nine out of ten civilians sent to work in conflict areas are men. Women are not regarded as having enough knowledge or competence in security questions and, as a result, European peace-making missions remain a project by and for men.

Given the often determinate role that women's organisations have played on the ground in conflict resolution, it is absurd that they are so under-represented in the international work in this field. Not only does it reflect an important limitation to democracy, it is also a threat to global security and to women across the globe. By excluding women from conflict management, we exclude a female perspective and experience that could contribute to peace building projects that better correspond to the real needs of all those affected by conflict.

This would be consistent with the shifting perceptions of the nature of security in recent years. Globalization and the threat of international terrorism have made it necessary to view security as not just about the traditional questions of military and geostrategic threats, but a much wider concept, including environmental and poverty-related challenges to the individual's integrity.

To many women, this is more than obvious. Eighty percent of the world's refugees are women and children. 70% of the world's poorest people, living on less than one dollar a day, are women. 340 million women worldwide are not expected to live past 40, largely because of gender-based violence and poverty-related illness. Sexual violence and rape are prevalent in regions of war as well as in refugee camps. For people in poverty, being secure means earning enough money to feed your children, as well as having access to clean water, air and soil free from pollution. It also means having access to education and healthcare. It means freedom not only from violence but also from the poverty and social injustice that are often the root causes of violence.

Even in wealthy countries, the statistics of violence against women are frightening. What does it matter if your government has a good missile defence system, if you are afraid every time you walk home at night? What does it matter if diplomatic ties are improving between your country and its neighbour, if you are forced to flee your home because of a natural disaster caused by climate change?

Including women in policy-making and peace-making processes would reinforce democracy and be an important step forward, allowing them to fight for concerns that are close to their hearts. I welcome that Europe has acknowledged the importance of this by recognising the role of women in building peace in the review of the European Security Strategy, adopted last week by the European Council. The review also calls for the effective implementation of UNSCR 1325 on women, peace, and security. It is important to follow up this political commitment with concrete action.

Ultimately, of course, what all this boils down to is, in one word, democracy. Do we want a society where the input of over half of the population is ignored? Do we want to make the best use of our human resources or not? Do we want to be effective in dealing with international conflicts and with questions of global justice? The world needs recognise the major role that women have to play in the fight for a global, sustainable peace.

Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Initiative.