Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been engulfed in violent armed conflict since 2013, and conflict-related insecurity has left women and girls vulnerable to forced marriage, abduction, and especially sexual and gender-based violence; according to the International Development Monitoring Centre, 68% of girls in CAR are married before the age of eighteen. Women in the CAR continue to be largely excluded from peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts and have even been subjected to violence perpetrated by UN peacekeepers. Deployed in April 2014, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)is mandated to protect women, monitor and report on violations against women, adhere to the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, ensure women’s full participation in conflict resolution and elections, and incorporate gender as a cross-cutting issue. To further this progress, based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for more thorough monitoring of UN peacekeepers in CAR to ensure that no exploitation and abuse occurs on their watch.
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been engulfed in violent armed conflict since 2013, and conflict-related insecurity has left women and girls vulnerable to forced marriage, abduction, and especially sexual and gender-based violence; according to the International Development Monitoring Centre, 68% of girls in CAR are married before the age of eighteen.
Women in the CAR continue to be largely excluded from peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts and have even been subjected to violence perpetrated by UN peacekeepers. Deployed in April 2014, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is mandated to protect women, monitor and report on violations against women, adhere to the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, ensure women’s full participation in conflict resolution and elections, and incorporate gender as a cross-cutting issue. To further this progress, based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for more thorough monitoring of UN peacekeepers in CAR to ensure that no exploitation and abuse occurs on their watch.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Central African Republic (November 2017)
The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to worsen, with increasing violence, insecurity, and tensions amongst armed factions. According to OCHA, there are currently 592,300 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 40% higher than six months ago and the highest since 2014. One in two Central Africans currently need humanitarian assistance, however, the humanitarian response, particularly protection and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) sectors, continue to remain largely underfunded. Furthermore, extensive reports of SGBV have been documented, not just as a byproduct of conflict, but in many cases as a tactic of war by armed groups. There have been documented cases of perpetrators targeting women and girls suspected of interacting with people on the other side of the sectarian divide. It is imperative that human rights monitoring continues and that individuals and entities that have participated in acts that violate human rights and undermine peace, stability, and security in CAR are identified and brought to justice. To date, no member of an armed group has been arrested for committing sexual slavery or rape. In its discussion of the mandate renewal for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA), the Security Council should maintain existing women, peace and security provisions in the mandate (S/RES/2301 (2016), OPs 33, 34, 45), and further expand language, per the recommendation of the Secretary-General, to call on the mission to explicitly consult with civil society organizations, including women’s groups, as part of its mandate (S/2017/865, para. 66). Protection of civilians strategies should be gender-sensitive and emphasize consultations with local communities, including women’s groups, in development, implementation, and monitoring. Additionally, language should be added across the mandate explicitly noting that policies and programs should be gender-sensitive in the context of early warning efforts; transitional justice mechanisms; community violence reduction programs; and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts, per the Secretary-General’s report (S/2017/865, paras. 67, 74). Despite the cross-cutting mandate to mainstream gender, there remains ambiguity and thus clear instruction should be provided by the Security Council in the mandate; the lack of implementation of gender across all mandate components is evident based on analysis of past reports of the Secretary-General (S/2017/94, S/2017/473, S/2016/824). Finally, continued emphasis on the importance of implementation of the zero-tolerance policy on SEA (S/RES/2272 (2016), S/RES/2378 (2017)) should be maintained, including by calling on proper vetting before deployment and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable. Finally, in order to strengthen information and analysis on the gender dimensions of the situation, the Council should invite women civil society representatives to brief the Council (S/RES/2122 (2013), OP 1(a)(c)).
Relevant Resources
