ROUNDTABLE: Truth Commissions and Sexual Violence

Sexual violence committed during war or internal armed conflict is a major global challenge, yet is often neglected during transitions from conflict and repressive regimes. Some governments have tried to address conflict-related-sexual-violence through truth commissions, whose job it is to document human rights violations and provide recommendations to remedy the past and prevent future violations. This roundtable discusses how truth commissions have dealt with sexual violence, and to what extent changing international norms and legal frameworks have shaped this agenda. And how have truth commissions contributed to advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda (set by UN Security Council Resolution 1325) and its focus on the gendered experience of conflict?

Participants: Elin Skaar (CMI), Anna Gopsill (University of London), Camila Gianella (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), Bhavya Gupta (Jawaharlal Nehru University)

Moderator: Dorothee Alberts (LawTransform)

This Roundtable presents ongoing work from the CMI/LawTransform project Truth Commissions and Sexual Violence (RCN 2021-24) and is a collaboration with the DIPA centre