Statement on UN Special Rapporteur’s Report on Gender-Based Violence in Conflict

Equality Now acknowledges the recent report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, which documents alarming and escalating forms of sex-based violence in conflict zones around the world, including in Gaza, Israel, Sudan, and Ukraine. 

The report underlines a long known and disturbing pattern: the extreme use of violence against women and girls as a weapon of war and a genocidal act, beyond the trauma and harm caused by conflict. These acts include sexual violence, reproductive coercion, denial of basic needs and infrastructure: food, water, healthcare, maternity and emergency services critical to survival. Such acts constitute egregious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. 

We urge the international community to respond with urgency and consistency to such violations, whether they occur in Afghanistan, Gaza, Israel, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine or elsewhere. Violations against women and girls must be met with the same diplomacy, focus on humanity, accountability, and redress regardless of geography or geopolitics. The selective application of human rights standards and continued violations undermine the credibility of the global legal framework meant to protect civilians and pursue justice that cannot be inconsistent or conditional. 

In Gaza, the Special Rapporteur raises particular concern about the gendered impact of violence and calls for immediate international action. As a founding member of the Hurra Coalition, we are committed to reimagining the future of the MENA region by placing women and girls at the centre of reconstruction, governance, and justice processes. Their voices, needs, insights, and leadership must be fully integrated into transitional justice mechanisms and post-conflict reconstruction. Equality Now therefore demands that governments with global influence move beyond statements of concern and take meaningful action through diplomacy, legal accountability, and international forums to prevent further atrocities in Gaza. Funding for these conflicts must be stopped, as it perpetuates a cycle of violence and instead can be used to rebuild sustainable communities. 

Equality Now calls on world leaders attending UNGA, the International Summit on Palestine, and other global gatherings to uphold international law, condemn all gender-based violence particularly in conflict and take action rooted in the international standards that have bound nations together in pursuit of peace for decades, prioritising the dignity, safety, and rights of women and girls across the world.