Experts discuss strategies to combat violence against women in conflict settings at OSCE/ODIHR event in Vienna

Over 40 participants from delegations of OSCE participating States, civil society organizations and academia participated in a side event of the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting dedicated to combating violence against women in conflict settings on 2 July 2018.

The event was organized by the OSCE Gender Section and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). 

“While legal recourse and prosecution is already a challenge in times of peace, it is even worse when it comes to gender-based violence committed in conflict settings,” said OSCE Senior Gender Adviser Amarsanaa Darisuren in her welcoming remarks, adding that armed conflict often creates a culture of impunity, and gender-based violence crimes are seen as a ‘collateral damage’.

Graziella Pavone, Human Rights Officer at ODIHR said that states lack mechanisms to enhance the protection of women from violence when conflicts break out. “Conflict prevention strategies should be informed by measures of prevention of violence against women in peace times and should involve all parties, from lawmakers to law enforcement, from the judiciary to civil society, religious leaders, the media and all social service providers,” said Pavone.

The event included the screening of a video clip from the upcoming documentary ‘The Prosecutors’, which was introduced by international humanitarian law expert Daniela Kravetz.

Amra Hamidovic shared the experiences and results from the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina work on justice for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence: “Significant progress in judicial and prosecutorial response has been reached, but challenges remain,” she said.

Gulnara Shahinian from the Armenian NGO ‘Democracy Today’ shared recommendations from global activists on ways to improve access to justice for survivors of violence, including by implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and by increasing the documentation and reporting of gender-based crimes.

Captain Inna Zavorotko, Legal Adviser of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, shared national experiences on preventing conflict-related violence against women, highlighting “the importance of establishing solid national justice systems to ensure that survivors have access to legal recourse.”

Ambassador Marcel Peško, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, closed the event, stressing that more attention should be paid to the prevention of conflict-related gender-based violence as an integral part of conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts.