President Joe Biden has announced new steps to combat sexual violence in conflict zones around the world. In a statement released on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, President Biden acknowledged that this scourge is still widespread around the world, from Ukraine to Ethiopia, to Haiti, to Sudan and beyond. He reiterated the United States’ commitment to do everything possible to end this blatant violation of human rights, and announced that his administration would enact historic sanctions against actors committing these violations.
“Ending gender-based violence wherever it occurs and supporting survivors has been a high priority for me — as a senator, vice president and since day one of my administration,” Biden said in a statement to PoliticianUSA.
This is the first time that a focus on conflict-related sexual violence has led to US sanctions.
In November 2020, President Biden issued a presidential memorandum to strengthen and strengthen the government’s use of financial, diplomatic, and legal tools to address conflict-related sexual violence. The sanctions issued today build on this memorandum and designate two South Sudan political and military targets who oversaw the rape and murder of civilians during the civil war, and two ISIS terrorists responsible for the brutal rape and torture of Yazidi women and girls.
The President affirmed that the United States stands in solidarity with survivors of sexual violence in conflict and will continue to lead, along with their partners, efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for this grave human rights violation. This announcement is an important step towards ending sexual violence in conflict zones and ensuring justice for survivors.