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 (February 2020)
The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) remains of grave concern, with what little data is available suggesting a worsening security and humanitarian situation. The number of displaced persons is currently 1,281,000, the highest since 2013 (UNOCHA). There has been a notable rise in the reported incidence rate of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and violence against civilians; survivors report having been assaulted in their homes, during door-to-door raids, or as they flee violence. Lack of funding for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and access to justice, including via the protection cluster, has detrimental consequences to survivors/victims of SGBV; only 42% reported they had access to medical follow-up and 33% had access to legal support. The Council must inquire as to the efforts of the peacekeeping mission, in line with its robust WPS mandate, to address this critical gap in services and justice for survivors/victims and also ensure equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and electoral processes, including in the implementation of the peace agreement and in the forthcoming presidential election.
Relevant Resources
