Addressing sexual violence in conflict settings
Fighting impunity: addressing sexual violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. She approached me when I was about to take a picture in the centre of Goma, the old run-down town on the northern shores of Lake Kivu. A beautiful girl in her late teens, timidly holding out her hand for a few Congolese francs. Panicky glances, a timorous encounter. Her nose had been cut off, but it is the despair and incomprehension in her eyes that still haunt me. Read more...
Combating gender-based Violence in Kosovo “I know … that in my village there are three to four families suffering from violence. Two days ago a man beat his wife. She was all black with bruises. In another family, the husband beats his wife. His brothers beat her too. About two days ago the police came for this case.”Read more...
Liberia: making headway in addressing sexual violence The fighting in Liberia’s civil war is long over, but violence still echoes through the nation, affecting even the youngest Liberians. Recent studies indicate that about 75 percent of women have faced some form of gender-based abuse before reaching the age of majority. An estimated 85 percent of rape survivors are under 18 years of age. Read more... Listen to Maria-Therese Keating, Deputy Resident Representative in UNDP Liberia, discuss efforts to address sexual and gender-based violence in the country (streaming audio or mp3)
Sexual violence in Somalia: Resolution 1820 and Women’s Bar Associations Somalia has been in a state of war for over 18 years. In conflict and post-conflict countries such as Somalia where structures for the administration of justice have collapsed, the human rights of vulnerable groups such as women and children are even more subject to abuse. One of the major human rights violations perpetrated in Somalia is sexual violence against women. Read more...
Access to justice in Sri Lanka: addressing the needs of the displaced On 18 May 2009 the Sri Lankan government formally announced its military victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its regaining of complete territorial control over Sri Lanka. The final weeks of the conflict resulted in an estimated 200,000 people fleeing the fighting. Read more...
Listen to Sharmeela Rasool, Project Manager in UNDP Sri Lanka, discuss UNDP’s efforts to facilitate women’s access to justice. (streaming audio or mp3)
To hear other audios on women in crisis, please click here.
Improving access to justice for survivors of sexual violence in Darfur
Women victims of rape in Darfur used to be denied post-trauma medical assistance unless they agreed to complete Form 8. Form 8 is a one page reporting document produced by the Ministry of Justice to record physical injuries related to criminal acts.
Judge Jacinta Correia follows her path to do justice in Timor-Leste "I want to be a judge people can trust", is how Dr. Jacinta Correia started the conversation. She is a 36-year-old woman, mother of two children and first of her class in a course for the first group of Magistrates and Public Defenders of Timor-Leste.
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The fighting in Liberia’s civil war is long over, but violence still echoes through the nation, affecting even the youngest Liberians. Recent studies indicate that about 75 percent of women have faced some form of gender-based abuse before reaching the age of majority. An estimated 85 percent of rape survivors are under 18 years of age. 
Somalia has been in a state of war for over 18 years. In conflict and post-conflict countries such as Somalia where structures for the administration of justice have collapsed, the human rights of vulnerable groups such as women and children are even more subject to abuse. One of the major human rights violations perpetrated in Somalia is sexual violence against women. 
