On 19 June 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/69/293) proclaimed 19 June of each year the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, in order to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world and to pay tribute to all those who have courageously devoted their lives to and lost their lives in standing up for the eradication of these crimes.
The date was chosen to commemorate the adoption on 19 June 2008 of Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), in which the Council condemned sexual violence as a tactic of war and an impediment to peacebuilding.
In response to the rise in violent extremism, the Security Council adopted resolution S/RES/2331 (2016), the first to address the nexus between trafficking, sexual violence, terrorism and transnational organized crime. Acknowledging sexual violence as a tactic of terrorism, it further affirmed that victims of trafficking and sexual violence committed by terrorist groups should be eligible for official redress as victims of Terrorism
Secretary-General's message — 2023
The use of sexual violence as a tactic of war, torture, and repression is widespread in the conflicts that affect hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Harrowing reports from across the globe are a terrible reminder that this despicable crime persists despite international commitments to stamp it out. And many of those responsible never face justice. While stigma too often causes survivors to walk in shame, perpetrators walk free.
Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we stand in solidarity with survivors and everyone supporting them. And we commit to redoubling our efforts to prevent atrocities and hold those responsible to account.
That means listening to survivors. It means governments incorporating international humanitarian law into national laws, military rules and training. And it means holding perpetrators to account, so that they face justice – we must confront the belief that fighters can inflict horror with impunity.
This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict focuses on technology and the digital divide. Accessible technology can alert people to danger, help them to reach sanctuary and support, and enable abuses to be documented and verified, as a first step towards accountability. But it can also perpetuate violence, harm survivors and inflame hate. We must ensure technology supports our efforts to prevent and end these crimes, including by increasing access and holding people to account for their actions online.
Together, we must turn rhetoric into response, and commitments into action, to make the promises to end sexual violence in conflict a reality.
António Guterres
We must ensure technology supports our efforts to prevent and end these crimes, including by increasing access and holding people to account for their actions online."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres message for the international day, 2023
Sexual harassment and gender-based hate speech
Every new wave of conflict brings with it a rising tide of human tragedy, including new waves of war’s oldest, most silenced, and least condemned crime - sexual violence. Conflict-related sexual violence, whether against women, girls, men, or boys in all their diversity, continues to be used as a tactic of war, torture, and terrorism amid deepening political and security crises, compounded by militarization and the illicit proliferation of arms.
New crises have multiplied as entrenched conflicts have deepened, resulting in shrinking civic space and rising reprisals against human rights defenders, activists, and journalists.
Sexual harassment and gender-based hate speech have surged in the digital space. While the use of information and communications technology has contributed to the empowerment of women and girls and other groups in vulnerable situations, its use has also enabled the propagation of violence.
In some settings, disturbing trends of gender-based hate speech and incitement to violence fuelled conflict in which rape and other forms of sexual violence are used to humiliate and destabilize targeted communities. Hate speech – including online – has become one of the most common ways of spreading divisive rhetoric on a global scale.
We must confront bigotry by working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet.”
António Guterres
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) — a tool for empowerment... and destruction
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) may be used directly as a tool for making digital threats and inciting gender-based violence, including threats of physical and/or sexual violence, rape, killing, unwanted and harassing online communications, or even the encouragement of others to harm women physically.
On the other hand, ICT can be a powerful tool to improve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, contribute to building their resilience in times of crises, increase the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as help survivors fight against impunity and improve accountability.
A lack of access for women and girls to affordable, accessible, and reliable technologies remains a critical challenge in many countries. All efforts should be deployed to reduce the price and enhance the affordability of information and communications technologies and broadband access and use. More needs to be done in bridging the gender digital divide and ensuring technology is safe and accessible to all.
We must guarantee safe and equitable access to inclusive and quality education, including digital literacy for all.
International cooperation must be enhanced to counter increasing sexual and gender-based violence, harassment and hate speech occurring both offline and online, as these pose a real threat to democracy by weakening women and girls’ participation in society.
2023 Event
Bridging the gender digital divide to prevent, address and respond to conflict-related sexual violence
10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT
Monday, 19 June 2023
Conference Room 1, UNHQ, New York
UN WebTV live webcast
Invitation card - save the date
Concept Note and Programme
Commemorating the 9th official observance, this year's event is co-hosted by the Office of the SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Office of the SRSG on Children and Armed Conflict and the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations.
The purpose of the event is to stand in solidarity with the survivors, and those supporting them, to spark hope, knowledge and inspiration as we lift our voices to say: “#EndRapeInWar”.
Background
Definition and prevalence
The term “conflict-related sexual violence” refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to a conflict. The term also encompasses trafficking in persons when committed in situations of conflict for the purpose of sexual violence or exploitation.
A consistent concern is that fear and cultural stigma converge to prevent the vast majority of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence from coming forward to report such violence. Practitioners in the field estimate that for each rape reported in connection with a conflict, 10 to 20 cases go undocumented.
Resources
General Assembly resolution establishing the International Day (A/RES/69/293)
Reports of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence
2022: S/2022/272
2022 report: illustrated version
2021: S/2021/312
2021 report: illustrated version
2020: S/2020/487
2020 report: illustrated version
2019: S/2019/280
2019 report: illustrated version
2018: S/2018/250
2018 report: illustrated version
2017: S/2017/249
2017 report: illustrated version
2016: S/2016/361
2016 report: illustrated version
Other reports
Conflict Related Sexual Violence MPTF Annual Progress Report 2021
Team of Experts Report 2021
UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action):
14 agencies committed to ending sexual violence in conflict (2020)
2018 Progress Report
2017 Progress Report
More reports
Publications
Closing the protection gap for children born of war
Related websites
Say #NoToHate
Stop Rape Now: UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict
Rape: Weapon of war
Multimedia
"If you look at the history of war, and the conflicts around the world, and time immemorial, sexual violence has been used in every war as a tactic of war" - Pramila Patten (Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict)
Listen to the interview in Awake at Night S3-Episode 26: It Breaks Your Heart to Hear About the Brutality
"I got my smile back when I understood that the world needed me." - Tatiana’s Story: Music that Heals
UN Action
United Nations Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action) brings together 24 UN entities with the goal of ending sexual violence during and in the wake of armed conflict.
Launched in 2007, it represents a concerted effort by the UN to ‘deliver as one’ – improving coordination and accountability, amplifying advocacy and supporting country-level efforts to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and respond more effectively to the needs of survivors.
Pramila Patten addresses the Security Council
Special Representative
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict serves as the UN spokesperson and political advocate on conflict-related sexual violence. She chairs the UN Action and her work is supported by the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law/Sexual Violence in Conflict.
The office was established in 2009 and Under-Secretary-General Pramila Patten was appointed in 2017. She succeeds Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura and Ms. Margot Wallström.
an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event
Why do we mark International Days?
International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.
