Guest Post by Campaign Member Sarah Tofte

In recent months, Guatemala has undertaken the landmark step of putting its former President, Efrain Rios Montt on trial for genocide--the first time a head of state has faced such charges in a domestic court.

On 29 April, the United Nations Security Council joined with other UN bodies in calling for an end to human rights abuses – including rape and gender violence – in the Central African Republic.  There have been numerous reports of sexual assaults in the capital of Bangui and elsewhere in the country since a coup in late March.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, visited Somalia in early April to highlight rape in the country’s camps for internally displaced people.  The Somali government, in a groundbreaking move, acknowledged the complicity of its own troops in the issue and resolved to take action.

UPDATE (15 May 2013): The UN Joint Human Rights Office released a report in May detailing the Congolese army's responsibility for the rape of 97 women and 33 girls in the town of Minova between 15 November and 2 December 2012.  Of the 12 officers suspended, only two have been officially charged so far in connection with the rapes.  The report cites inadequate training, discipline, and vetting of soldiers as potential reasons for the rapes.

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Pressure from the United Nations to take legal action against army soldiers guilty of perpetrating widespread rape in Eastern Congo’s city of Minova last November has resulted in the suspension of 12 army officers for their direct responsibility in the attacks.

Guest Post by James Stapleton, International Communications Coordinator at the Jesuit Refugee Service and Professor of Human Rights in the Rome Center of the Loyola University Chicago

When young mother Rosa Elvira Cely was found dead last year after being brutally tortured and raped by common criminals, thousands joined a march in the Colombian capital to demand justice. For a moment it seemed as if the general public had woken up to one of the most horrendous consequences of the more than 60-year conflict, widespread violence against women.

Guest post by Campaign member Sarah Tofte

For Jody Williams, the road to the Nobel Peace Prize began when she fought back--literally, trying to beat up kids much older and bigger than her--against the injustice she saw her brother endure in their small, rural hometown, simply because he was born deaf. "That personal injustice that I saw early on grew into righteous anger at the many injustices in our world. It led me to the work I have done my whole life as an activist." This piece of history was one of many Williams shared with an audience during an interview at the Paley Media Center in New York on April 18th, 2013, for an event titled  "She's Making Media: Jody Williams--Activism from Landmines to Killer Robots."

Williams, Co-Chair of the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict, was interviewed by the Campaign's Advisory Member, Pat Mitchell, President and CEO of the Paley Center.

The United Nations Security Council held its annual open debate on Women, Peace and Security on April 17, focusing this year on sexual violence in conflict. UN Special Rapporteur on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura told members, "We have an opportunity like at no other time in history to break the back of this age-old evil." 

The foreign ministers of the G8 countries came together to endorse a declaration on preventing a prosecuting sexual violence in conflict zones. This commitment by international leaders is unprecedented and represents a key development in efforts to end wartime rape.

After more than ten days of negotiations, UN members adopted a treaty to regulate international weapon transfers. Importantly, the Arms Trade Treaty recognizes the link between the arms trade and gender violence.