Sexual Violence in Conflict Committee publishes Call for Evidence
22 July 2015
The Sexual Violence in Conflict Committee today published its Call for Evidence aimed at a wide range of witnesses. The Committee is inviting written evidence to be received by 18 September.
The inquiry will focus on UK Government policy and practice in preventing sexual violence in conflict and assess its effectiveness.
The Government has taken a leading role internationally in the fight against sexual violence in conflict, establishing the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) and hosting the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in 2014.
The Committee will assess the impact of those initiatives and what more can be done to address sexual violence in conflict.
The Committee stressed their aspiration to engage with those who have direct experience of sexual violence in conflict and organisations that represent survivors, both in the UK and abroad.
Chairman's comment
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Chairman of the Committee, said:
"Sexual violence in conflict is a dreadful crime making victims of women, girls, men and boys in conflicts across the globe. The Committee have already heard some evidence in private from survivors and it is clear that sexual violence has a devastating and long lasting impact.
"The UK Government has been bold in establishing the PSVI and hosting the Global Summit in 2014, but we are now a year on from that and it is time to assess what progress has been made. We are interested in exploring whether the Government is getting it right in the international policy agenda, in prevention measures and meeting the needs of survivors.
"Our inquiry and report will only be as strong as the evidence we receive, and we are keen to hear from survivors and the groups that represent them. While we will not be able to comment on, or review individual cases we want to ensure our report is informed by as broad a range of witnesses as possible, so I would encourage anyone who wants to submit evidence to write to us by 18 September."
The Committee has been instructed to report by the end of March 2016 and hopes to attend and present its report at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016.
Further information
Image: iStockphoto