Confronting Gender-Based Violence in Conflict and Humanitarian Settings
In November 2024 Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke of “the grim reality of gender-based violence in conflict zones around the world. From Sudan to Ukraine, Afghanistan to Gaza, Turk highlighted the widespread use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and political repression, underscoring that such violence is not only a human rights violation but a devastating tool of control. He stressed the importance of international law and the need for accountability, calling on the global community to do more to protect survivors and prevent further”
LAW – Legal Action Worldwide is active in seeking justice for women and girls caught in this trap and the systemic challenges faced by survivors of gender-based violence in conflict zones
Kate Norton, Director of Operations at LAW, has described LAW’s work in the field to “be grounded in the belief that empowering survivors can drive lasting change.”
SUDAN
Since the current conflict began in Sudan in April 2023 the country has descended into a dire humanitarian crisis.
In particular, reports from survivors, humanitarian agencies, and human rights organizations point to a disturbing pattern of rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, and other forms of sexual violence being used to terrorize, humiliate, and displace civilians, particularly women and girls, but also men and boys. These acts have been documented in several conflict-affected areas, including Khartoum, Darfur, and parts of Kordofan. The United Nations and NGOs have raised alarm over the scale, brutality, and apparent widespread and systematic nature of these crimes.
The ongoing fighting, mass displacement, and collapse of basic services have severely restricted access to healthcare, psychosocial support, and legal recourse for survivors. At the same time, entrenched stigma, fear of retaliation, and the absence of accountability have created a culture of silence and impunity around conflict related sexual violence in Sudan.
Read the report: Beyond the Headlines: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sudan on LAW’s website www.legalactionworldwide.org
Let us pray
God of mercy and justice, We lift before You the voices of those silenced by violence and oppression. We remember the survivors of gender-based violence in conflict zones—those in Sudan, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Gaza, and beyond—whose suffering is used as a weapon of war and control. Hold them in Your tender care, restore dignity where it has been denied, and bring healing where wounds run deep. Strengthen those who work for justice, like the advocates at Legal Action Worldwide, who strive to empower survivors and challenge systems of impunity. Grant courage to all who speak out, and wisdom to those who seek accountability and change.
Stir our hearts to action: May it be so AMEN
Images from LAW Legal Action Worldwide website
