Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to protect women and girls from sexual violence when fleeing conflict zones.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK is committed to protecting women and girls – as well as men and boys – from sexual violence in conflict. The Government’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative (PSVI), launched in 2012, has raised awareness, rallied global action and increased the political will and capacity of states to do more to: (i) address the culture of impunity that exists for these crimes, (ii) increase the number of perpetrators held to account, and (iii) ensure better support for survivors. Since its launch we have carried out 60 deployments by the UK Team of PSVI Experts to support survivors and strengthen investigations and increase prosecutions; supported around 50 projects with non-governmental organisations working to end sexual violence and help survivors in a range of conflict-affected countries; launched and provided training on the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict to improve evidence gathering and strengthen the prosecution of sexual violence; and provided training on sexual violence issues to African peacekeeping military and police personnel, to members of the Malian Army and Peshmerga troops in Iraq.
