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NEW YORK, NY – On the first day of the United Nations’ annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, led 29 groups in urging UN leaders to help deter future acts of conflict-related sexual violence by advancing justice and accountability.
The widespread and ongoing denial of Hamas’ weaponization of sexual violence on October 7, 2023, and against the hostages sends the dangerous message to terrorists that it is okay to rape, kidnap and kill. Just this month, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, rejected the legitimacy of the UN’s own investigation into Hamas’ weaponization of sexual violence.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, the groups express their deep-seated concern that conflict-related sexual violence had reached record levels for the second consecutive year, as reported in the 2024 Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. The UN took a critical first step by blacklisting Hamas as a party credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for committing sexual violence, but additional action is needed.
In addition, the groups urge that, in the appendix to the forthcoming 2025 Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Violence, Hamas again be blacklisted for the weaponization of rape that occurred against the hostages. The letter also calls on the UN to advance the adoption of an international protocol, modeled on survivor-centered frameworks, to guide countries in how to prevent, investigate and respond to conflict-related sexual violence.
“The rise of conflict-related sexual violence is a crisis of global proportions,” said Carol Ann Schwartz, National President, Hadassah. “We at Hadassah, and our partners, call on the UN to ensure that justice and accountability are not optional. Leaders around the world must take urgent action to ensure that terrorists and bad actors like Hamas are no longer emboldened to weaponize rape.”
“We commend the inclusion of Hamas as a party credibly suspected of conflict-related sexual violence in this year’s UN report,” said Anila Ali, President, American Muslim and Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council. “Now the UN must follow through with decisive measures that hold all perpetrators accountable and deliver justice for survivors, both in Israel and around the globe.”
“For two years in a row, the UN has documented record levels of gender-based violence in conflict. When the UN holds perpetrators accountable, it sends a message that women’s lives matter,” said Meredith Jacobs, Jewish Women International, and Co-Founder, I Believe Israeli Women. “When the UN fails to act, it tells survivors their suffering can be ignored.”
"Sexual violence is being weaponized as a tool of war around the world and as Jewish advocates commanded to pursue justice and uphold the dignity of every person, we will not be silent," said Jody Rabhan, Executive Vice President, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). "NCJW has been calling out Hamas' weaponization of sexual violence since October 7, including by hosting a powerful session at the UN entitled ‘Hear Our Voices,’ giving voice to victims of this atrocity. The UN's recognition of these crimes was long overdue, but recognition without accountability is hollow. We urge the international community to ensure that survivors and their families receive the support and justice they deserve, both in Israel and in every conflict zone where gender-based violence is used as a weapon of war."