HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HOLDS ITS ANNUAL DISCUSSION ON THE INTEGRATION OF A GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN ITS WORK

The Human Right Council this afternoon held its annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective throughout the work of the Human Rights Council and that of its mechanisms, with a focus on gender integration and human rights investigations: strengthening a victim-centred approach.

In her opening statement, Kate Gilmore, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the integration of a gender perspective in all human rights work was simply essential. But in the realm of human rights investigations, gender sensitivity broadened the reach of rights protection, and opened new windows of understanding of the human impacts of rights violations. Gender sensitivity, stressed the Deputy High Commissioner, was as critical as the act of documentation itself, because it allowed to depict, inclusively, those whose human rights had been violated, and it allowed to reveal the full nature, extent and consequences of discrimination, exclusion, persecution and violence. Absent efforts for gender integration meant sexual violence was missing in accounts of civilian impacts of conflict; rape was not recognised for the weapon of war that it was proven to be; and the human rights abuses of domestic violence, marital rape, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and the deliberate deprivation of essential sexual and reproductive health, were not being recognised for what they were – breaches of human rights.

Taking part in the discussion were Emily Kenney, Policy Specialist on Transitional Justice at UN Women and discussion moderator; Shuvai Nyoni, Director of the African Leadership Centre and former Gender Adviser of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and at the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan; Madeleine Rees, Secretary General of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; and Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

Emily Kenney, Policy Specialist on Transitional Justice at UN Women and discussion moderator, reminded that the High Commissioner for Human Rights had highlighted sexual violence as a human rights violation that required the urgent attention of the Council. The United Nations human rights investigations played an essential role in documenting this violence and laying out the foundation for future justice. Each of the four reports submitted to the Council for the thirty-ninth sessions on Burundi, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen had a dedicated section focused on sexual violence.

Shuvai Nyoni, Director of the African Leadership Centre and former Gender Adviser of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and at the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan, noted that gender sensitive methodologies helped understand and interrogate gender norms, relations and the make-up of society. Any future practice of the Commission of Inquiry had to include gender sensitive methodology as they provided a more realistic sense of the lived reality of survivors, victims and even perpetrators in a society affected by conflict.

Madeleine Rees, Secretary General of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, underlined that gender analysis was not merely reporting on sexual violence against women. It was about the entirety of experience and how social structures ameliorated or exacerbated the harms which resulted. One of the best examples on how to do a gender analysis of sexual violence was the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria “I Lost My Dignity,” which showed that the assertion of power through sexualized violence was used against all.

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, said that documenting gender-based violence required specific expertise and a victim-centred approach, cultural sensitivity of the cultural circumstances, as well as the understanding of current legal frameworks. Documenting a gender-based analysis required a wider perspective, including sexual and reproductive health. Concerted efforts needed to be made to ensure the meaningful participation of women in peace resolution and reconciliation efforts.

In the ensuing discussion, speakers welcomed the timely discussion on how to further integrate the gender perspective in human rights investigations. They emphasized that women and girls were disproportionately affected by conflict and crisis situations. Women were more vulnerable to sexual violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, while at the same time they faced decreased access to basic services and the breakdown of social and healthcare structures. The right to remedy and reparation for sexual and gender-based violence during conflicts was crucial for any successful reconstruction processes and ultimately sustainable peace. Commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions appointed by the Council needed a deeper approach to integrating gender in their work and findings. However, the imposition of monitoring mechanisms by the Council were highly questionable as they were costly and politicized, some speakers warned.

Speaking in the discussion were Netherlands on behalf of a group of countries, Togo on behalf of the African Group, Chile on behalf of a group of countries, Canada on behalf of a group of countries, Austria on behalf of a group of countries, European Union, Latvia on behalf of a group of countries, Greece, Venezuela, Portugal, Qatar, Angola, Italy, Ireland, UN Women, El Salvador, Switzerland, International Development Law Organization, Mexico, Spain, Iraq, Brazil, Council of Europe, and Albania.

Also taking the floor were the following civil society and non-governmental organizations: Office for the Protection of Citizens of Haiti, International Service for Human Rights (in a joint statement with Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development Forum-Asia), Action Canada for Population and Development, Federatie Van Netherlandse Verenigingen Tot Integratie Van Homoseksualiteit - Coc Nederland (in a joint statement with International Lesbian and Gay Association), Maarij Foundation for Peace and Development and Conseil International pour le soutien à des procès équitables et aux Droits de l'Homme.


The Council will resume its work on Tuesday, 25 September, at 9 a.m. when it will continue its general debate on the follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. It is then scheduled to hold an interactive dialogue with the Working Group on people of African descent, followed by a general debate on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Later in the day, the Council is scheduled to hold an interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s oral update on the situation of human rights in Ukraine, an enhanced interactive dialogue on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and an interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on Yemen.


Opening Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

KATE GILMORE, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, in her opening statement, said that the integration of a gender perspective in all human rights work was simply essential. But in the realm of human rights investigations, gender sensitivity broadened the reach of rights protection, and opened new windows of understanding of the human impacts of rights violations. Gender sensitivity, stressed the Deputy High Commissioner, was as critical as the act of documentation itself, because it allowed investigators to depict, inclusively, those whose human rights had been violated, and it allowed to reveal t