Defining Sexual Violence in International Law

This project supports the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice “Call it what it is Campaign” which contributes to increased access to accountability measures for conflict-related sexual violence survivors. Project activities support critical steps in advancing discussions on the state of current international legal frameworks around sexual violence. The project aims to develop tools that lead to an improved understanding of sexual violence which can be put into practice to modernize international legal frameworks and more effectively address sexual violence in conflict.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) established Working Group of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute to amend the ICC Elements of Crimes to include a better definition of 'acts of a sexual nature of comparable gravity'; and (2) increased capacity of civil society legal practitioners and policy makers to implement and promote the Hague Principles on Sexual Violence to increase understanding of sexual violence.