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Committee: Human Rights Commission
Topic: Sexual Violence Against Women in Armed Conflict
Delegates: Avesh Singh and Tiffany Yuan
Country: Djibouti
History
“Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel
the other, and because they spend of their property. So good women are the obedient,
guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear
rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart; and scourge them…” (Qu’ran;
Sûrah an Nisa; 4.34. Marmaduke Pickthall interpretation) This passage from the Qu’ran
not only blatantly states that women are inferior to men, but also suggests that physical
violence against women is not just acceptable, but necessary at times. It is extremist
statements such as these that have fueled the fires of patriarchal society. Men should
hunt, kill, counsel, vote, and serve in wars. Women should bear children, cook, clean, and
provide for their male counterparts in a sexual way. This unjust system has led the world
into a downward spiral and has also caused significant issues to arise, most notably that
of sexual violence against women. Domestic sexual violence may be a matter to be dealt
with by individual nations; however inter-cultural sexual violence, specifically during
times of war, is a situation to be dealt with internationally.
Throughout history and current events, women have been victims of sexual
violence for reasons that vary from simplistic needs to twisted machinations. According
to the story of The Rape of the Sabine Women, Roman men raped women from a
neighboring city in order to populate their own city. Currently, the Janjaweed militia is
using rape as a tool to humiliate and overpower their enemies. Due to centuries of
patriarchal agendas, women are being used as both tools for the needs of men (as seen in
The Rape of the Sabine Women), and pawns in the conflicts of men (as demonstrated by
the Janjaweed militia). It is now common for an advancing army to assign soldiers to the
specific task of raping the wives of enemy soldiers. These heinous acts are seemingly
justified in the ancient views of male dominance.
Just as they are abused in times of war, they are also mistreated while fleeing
from it. Refugee women find themselves at the mercy of males, and, unfortunately, males
not only notice this, but also use it to their advantage. “And seest among the captives a
beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, … and after that thou shalt go in unto her…
And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will.”
(Deuteronomy 21:11-14) This direct quote from the Bible seemingly encourages sexual
violence against those seeking asylum. Because refugees do not have ordinary
government protection, they are vulnerable to many kinds of mistreatment. Non-refugee
males often offer food or shelter in exchange for sexual services. Refugees and nonrefugees alike tend to take advantage of a female refugee’s vulnerable position. Sexual
violence among refugees is a complex issue; however its fundamental cause is the belief
that females are inferior to males.
UN Involvement
The UN has only recently begun to recognize the abusive treatment of women
that occurs during times of conflict. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed
by nearly all UN countries, bans all forms of sexual abuse to some extent. However the
UN has not had the means necessary for enforcement. Further UN resolutions have
condemned sexual violence in armed combat specifically, such as resolution 1325. This
resolution emphasizes the responsibility of countries to prosecute those responsible for
war crimes relating to sexual violence against women. Furthermore, it asks nations to
encourage women to participate in conflict resolution and peace processes. The UN has
passed many resolutions similar to resolution 1325, and they seem to be working, to an
extent. However in much of Africa, and in many under-developed countries, the forceful
action encouraged in these resolutions just isn’t possible.
The UN has taken great steps in ensuring the rights of refugees. According to the
1951 Refugee Convention, signed by 146 countries, refugees are to be given a certain set
of rights and liberties, including the right to protection from sexual abuse. If properly
enforced, this convention could solve many problems relating to the mistreatment of
refugees. However proper enforcement is nearly impossible in many warring nations.
The UN has taken many steps in an effort to prevent sexual violence against
women in times of war. However these measures are not succeeding in many
underdeveloped countries, so new resolutions must be passed that specifically target
lesser developed countries.
Djibouti and Sexual Violence Against Women in Armed Conflict
As Djibouti was only recently released from the custody of France, and still reaps
the benefits of French protection, we have not yet experienced first-hand the atrocities of
sexual war crimes. However, being neighbors with Somalia and Ethiopia provides a clear
view of military tactics that involve the sexual exploitation of women. Both of these
nations hold strong patriarchal views, finding women to be inferior to men. Because of
this, women are not educated or trained in self defense, making them vulnerable to all
kinds of abuse. In times of conflict women become the true casualties. Soldiers use rape
as a weapon to indirectly harm the men of the opposing side. Djibouti believes that this
all stems from the belief insisted by male dominant societies that women are inferior to
men. Therefore we find the only plausible way of solving the problem of soldiers
committing sexual violence against women is to empower the women. We believe that
the best way to do this would be through a two part plan: The first part being the training
of women in self defense, and the second part being the upturning of the primitive view
of male dominance by the education of males and females alike in the important roles
females hold in society.
Another matter that Djibouti has experienced is the protection of refugees. We are
currently housing over 9000 refugees from Somalia alone. We also have a constant flow
of refugees coming from Ethiopia and Eritrea. While these refugees can sometimes be
sent back to their countries of origin, often the 1951 Refugee Convention prohibits this.
As a result thousands of refugees are sheltered in camps scattered about within Djibouti.
It would seem that these refugees would be vulnerable to sexual abuse. However our rate
of sexual violence against women has been kept very low. We believe this is because of
the number and quality of the people who guard and work at these camps. With the
extensive training of all who work at refugee camps and the sheer number of refugee
camp guards, rape among refugees practically doesn’t exist. Djibouti recognizes this as a
chance to serve as a model for other countries and encourages other nations to take
similar measures to protect their refugees.
Djibouti recognizes the problem of sexual violence against women in armed
conflict and is taking all measures possible to stop this atrocity. We hope other nations of
the United Nations will follow.