Violence Against Women
Source allAfrica
New York, NY - On Wednesday, September 21, as the UN General Assembly was debating strategies for improving the status of women and girls around the world, the US-based NGO, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), convened a side discussion, across the street at the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) entitled, Ending Impunity for Sexual Violence in Conflict: Strategies for a Way Forward. The small conference room was filled to capacity, with representatives of various UN missions, international organizations, NGOs, media partners, and other interested parties.
The distinguished panel, including Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Representative on the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Jeanine Mabunda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Personal Representative in Charge of the Fight against Sexual Violence and Child Recruitment and Karen Naimer, Director for Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Physicians for Human Rights, was convened to discuss the many challenges of pursuing accountability in cases of sexual violence, particularly in challenging post-conflict environments.
The meeting was also organized to showcase a recently launched joint initiative of Physicians for Human Rights and the DRC’s Office of the Personal Representative to implement a national, standard forensic medical certificate for cases of sexual violence.
Mme. Bangura set the stage for the discussion by recognizing the importance of country ownership in sexual violence. “My very best experience during my mandate has been with the DRC,” Mme. Bangura said, praising the cooperation she has experienced with the government of the DRC. She noted that commitment must come from the highest levels of government, and applauded President Kabila for the decision he made in 2014 to create the Office of the Personal Representative in Charge of the Fight against Sexual Violence and Child Recruitment, which he appointed Mme. Mabunda to lead.
The moderator, Dr. Yasmine Ergas, Director of Gender and Public Policy at Columbia University, suggested that other countries in the region could benefit from the experiences of this project in the DRC. “The first rule is the rule of law,” said Mme. Mabunda in her opening remarks, emphasizing that the fight against impunity has been her top priority. Mme. Mabunda explained the logistical challenges to rendering justice in the DRC, a country roughly the size of all of Western Europe, are many. Creative solutions, including the deployment of mobile court systems, have helped to bring justice to victims of sexual violence, particularly those living outside of provincial capitals. These public trials also serve to restore the population’s faith in the legal system, while educating citizens on their rights and protections under the law.
Mme. Mabunda explained that those subjected to sexual violence in the DRC do not want to be viewed as victims, but as survivors. “They want to be defined by their potential and not the traumas they have experienced,” Mme. Mabunda said. She explained that medical and legal support is critical to their recovery, as is being empowered to engage economically.
A brief documentary showcasing the Break the Silence! campaign in the DRC was then screened for the audience. Break the Silence! is a collaborative effort to change the narrative in the DRC to encourage an open discussion on sexual violence, and to build community support for these efforts. The campaign engages community and religious leaders to be agents of change and supports an emergency call center which provides victims with legal and medical information. The documentary can be viewed here.
“Cases of sexual violence are some of the hardest to prosecute, often due to a lack of adequate evidence to support the allegations of survivors,” Ms. Naimer said. She explained that Physicians for Human Rights is working to coordinate efforts and expand training for regional medical, law enforcement and legal experts in an effort to support the collection and documentation of forensic evidence which can be admissible in court.
Towards this goal, Physicians for Human Rights has collaborated with the Office of the Personal Representative, as well as many Congolese professionals from the medical, law enforcement and legal sectors to implement a national, standard forensic medical certificate in cases of sexual violence. The form was developed in consultation with clinicians, police officers and military and civilian lawyers and judges after it was recognized that judges were struggling to adjudicate cases of sexual violence. The video explaining the program, also screened at the discussion, can be viewed here.
“The standardized forensic medical certificate is transforming the collection and use of documentation of cases of sexual violence,” Ms. Naimer said, in her closing remarks. In closing the one hour session, Dr. Ergas recognized that the showcased partnerships were groundbreaking and there is “a lot to learn from the DRC that could be shared in other post-conflict environments.”
Concluding the session, William Kennedy, Senior Program Officer at UNOP, stated that this conversation is exactly the type of government-NGO dialogue his office looks to facilitate, calling the session “a great privilege to host.”
In 2014, President Joseph Kabila appointed Jeanine Mabunda to serve as Personal Representative in Charge of the Fight against Sexual Violence and Child Recruitment. Over the past two years, her office has worked to fight impunity, resource civilian and military justice systems, provide critical services to victims, empower women and girls, and mobilize society to stop sexual violence in the DRC. Jeune Afrique magazine has named her one of the 50 most influential African women.