Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice

Women’s Initiatives and partners in the DRC call for implementation of Security Council Resolutions
The Women’s Initiatives has joined with partners in eastern DRC, representing over 180 Congolese organisations, calling for the United Nations to implement Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 in relation to the participation of women in peace talks and ending impunity for gender based crimes in armed conflicts.

The Open Letter to the UN Secretary General comes at a time when Mr Ban Ki-moon is preparing a report on Resolution 1820, to be submitted to the Security Council on 30 June.

La version française de la Lettre Ouverte au Secrétaire Général de l'ONU

Latest issue of the Legal Eye on the ICC now available
Latest issue of Women’s Voices now available
Latest issue of the Legal Eye on the ICC now available
Nouveau- Rapport genre 2008 Le Rapport genre 2008 sur la Cour pénale internationale est maintenant disponible en français

Le Rapport genre 2008 analyse les développements institutionnels de la CPI au cours des 12 derniers mois, ainsi que le travail substantiel de celle-ci relativement aux enquêtes, à la sensibilisation du public, à la participation des victimes, au soutien et à la protection des témoins, au fonctionnement du programme d’aide judiciaire, et au travail du Fonds au profit des victimes. Il analyse aussi, d’une perspective de genre, les principales décisions et les développements judiciaires importants à la Cour en ce qui a trait aux situations qui font l’objet d’une enquête en RDC et en République centrafricaine, et aux affaires découlant de ces situations. 

Le Rapport genre 2008 fournit l'analyse genre portant sur la CPI la plus complète à ce jour.

Launch – Legal Eye on the ICC Welcome to the first edition of the Legal Eye on the ICC, the newest monthly online publication from the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice.

Open Letter to the President of Uganda and the Leader of the LRA On 18 March the Greater North Women’s Voices for Peace Network (Uganda) and the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice along with 250 local, national and international women’s and human rights organizations published an open letter to President Museveni of Uganda and General Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) calling for an immediate ceasefire and release of women and children from the LRA ranks. The letter has been published in national newspapers in Uganda and Sudan.

Open Letter

Launch – Women’s Voices Welcome to the first edition of Women's Voices, our new monthly e-letter from the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice.

New- Gender Report Card 2008 The Gender Report Card 2008 on the International Criminal Court (ICC) is now available online.

The Gender Report Card analyses the institutional developments at the ICC over the past 12 months as well as its substantive work in investigations, outreach, victims’ participation, witness support, protection and the work of the Trust Fund for Victims. We also analyze, from a gender perspective, all the major judicial decisions and developments at the Court for each situation and every case.

The Gender Report Card 2008 provides the most comprehensive gender analysis of the ICC currently available

Six New Judges Elected to the ICC On 19-20 January 2009, the Assembly of States Parties met in New York to elect six new Judges to the bench of the International Criminal Court. In the fall of 2008 and January 2009, the Women’s Initiatives compiled a dossier on all of the 21 candidates for judicial posts and distributed the dossier at meetings of the Assembly of States Parties… (more)

The final dossier on all the candidates can be found here.

Publications on the ICC and a Dossier of Judicial Candidates For the seventh session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) on 14-22 November 2008, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice is releasing two new publications, and a dossier of judicial candidates for the upcoming election of six Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the resumption of the session in January 2009 in New York. The publications and the dossier are released to coincide with the 2008 ASP meeting as part of our continued advocacy for the Court to effectively implement the Rome Statue and promote gender justice.

Advance Preliminary Report: Structures and Institutional Development of the International Criminal Court is an advance installment of the Gender Report Card 2008. It contains statistical data, analysis and recommendations on the structures of the Court, including recruitment, appointments and staffing until 31 October 2008. It also reports on the institutional development of the Court and outlines recommendations in the area of gender training, on sexual harassment policies and on equal opportunity policies. The full Gender Report Card 2008 will be launched in January 2009 in New York.

The Women’s Initiatives also released the Profile of Judicial Candidates: Election – JANUARY 2009. The dossier compiles the list of Judicial Applicants as of 10 November 2008 by region and gender, their academic achievements and professional expertise, their expertise on sexual violence, women’s human rights and victims’ rights, and their affiliations and honours. The dossier is drawn from curricula vitae of the judicial applicants, the statements and notes verbales from their respective States and additional online research.

Prendre position: Analyse des chefs d’accusation et des poursuites judiciaires en matière de violence contre les femmes devant la Cour pénale internationale is the French version of Making a Statement: A Review of Charges and Prosecutions for Gender-based Crimes before the International Criminal Court. The publication, now in two languages, is a collection of statements and commentaries written by the Women’s Initiatives from 2005 to June 2008 on the investigations, arrest warrants and charges brought by the Office of the Prosecutor in each of the situations and cases before the International Criminal Court. Both English and French versions will be launched on 14 November 2008 at the 11^th Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) International Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.

Advocacy Paper for the 2008 Assembly of States Parties

On 7 November 2008, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice released an advocacy paper covering key issues and recommendations for States Parties and the International Criminal Court to further advance implementation of the Rome Statute and gender justice. The paper is released to coincide with the 2008 annual Assembly of States Parties. Read the paper, Gender Justice and the ICC.

On 6-8 October 2008, the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice is hosting the Justice for Women Forum, an historic three-day meeting of 155 women's rights and peace activists from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Central African Republic. The four countries are the conflict situations currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and where the Women's Initiatives works with local women's rights organizations and partners. The Forum will be an event where women can analyse, plan, strategise and envision an end to conflict, accountability for those who have committed violent crimes, reconciliation for communities at war with each other and sustainable peace.

The Forum aims to demonstrate solidarity with women activists and advocates in conflict situations; discuss regional perspectives, analysis and solutions regarding these intersecting conflicts; and, provide a venue for skills exchange and skills-building sessions on strategies for advancing women's rights and justice during conflicts. The Forum also aims to draw international attention to the regional nature of these conflicts and the overlapping interests of governments, militia groups and other actors; build an international constituency of women advocating for gender justice; and, assess the impact of the ICC towards accountability, reconciliation and gender justice

The Forum will be held in Kampala, Uganda and will have simultaneous translation in three languages – English, French and Arabic. A number of advocates from around the world, partners, allies and donors will also participate and contribute to this exciting event. See Programme and Information Document for the Forum.

Women’s Initiatives releases new publications “Making A Statement” and Compilation of Legal Filings Submitted to the ICC The Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice is pleased to announce the release of its new publication Making A Statement : A Review of Charges and Prosecutions for Gender-based Crimes before the International Criminal Court. The Women’s Initiatives has been analysing, critiquing and responding to the Office of the Prosecutor’s investigations, the arrest warrants issued and the charges made in four situations before the ICC. Making A Statement is a collection of the statements and commentaries issued by the Women’s Initiatives since 2005 and serves as a review of the record of the Office of the Prosecutor until June 2008 in investigating and charging gender-based crimes.

The Women’s Initiatives also bound together the Legal Filings Submitted by the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice to the International Criminal Court. This publication contains two filings of request for leave to participate as Amicus Curiae in relation to the case of Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo and the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also includes the subsequent decisions rendered by Pre-Trial Chamber I to such requests. The Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice was the first NGO to file a request for leave to participate as Amicus Curiae before the International Criminal Court.

Central African Republic
Arrest of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo The Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice welcomes the arrest of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo by Belgian authorities on 24 May 2008, in response to a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), said Executive Director Brigid Inder.

Read the Statement here. 

Campaign to end discriminatory laws against women in Iran Iranian women’s rights activists continue their world-wide campaign demanding an end to discriminatory laws against women in the Iranian law. Read the letter from the organizers and the Petition Statement here.

For more information go to the Change for Equality website.

Women from the Greater North of Uganda join Peace Talks On January 2008, the Government of Uganda and the Lords Resistance Army/Movement (LRA/M) resumed the Peace Talks to end the 21 year conflict in Northern Uganda. At this session of the Talks, held in Juba Southern Sudan, women from Northern Uganda were, for the first time, able to attend the Talks and be present during the negotiations. At the opening of the Peace Talks, women from Northern Uganda presented a statement to the Parties from the Greater North Women’s Voices for Peace Network and the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice. This is the first time women most affected by the long running conflict in Uganda have been able to address the Peace Talks directly.

Read the Statement here.

Gender Report Card on the International Criminal Court 2007 launched On 30 November 2007, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice launched the Gender Report Card on the International Criminal Court for 2007. The launch was held in New York at the start of the annual Assembly of States Parties.

Read the speech by Brigid Inder, Executive Director of the Women’s Initiatives on the occasion of the launch of the Report Card.

Election of Judges at the 6th ASP of the Rome Statute Three new judges were elected to the bench of the International Criminal Court during the Sixth Session of the Assembly of States Parties. The elections were held on 30 November and 3 December 2007 in New York. Read about the Judges of the International Criminal Court here.

In preparation for the election, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice prepared a dossier on the qualifications, experience and attributes of the five candidates.
Judges Dossier 2007

Views of women from North and North Eastern Uganda on the Peace Talks From 1-3 August 2007, the Ugandan Women’s Coalition for Peace and the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice held a meeting in Gulu with 40 women leaders from north and north eastern Uganda on the Peace Talks, the Agreements signed thus far and to seek their views on the crucial issues of justice and peace. At the ‘Gulu Gathering’ women articulated our vision, demands and proposals for accountability, reconciliation and peace for the Greater North of Uganda and launched a ‘Women’s Team’ to participate in the Talks when they resume in October
Views of women from North and North Eastern Uganda on the Peace Talks.pdf

Investigation of Rape and Sexual Violence in CAR The Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice welcomes the decision by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to formally open an investigation into crimes committed in the Central African Republic (CAR) during 2002 and 2003, said Executive Director Brigid Inder.
Investigation of Rape and Sexual Violence in CAR.pdf

ICC Brings Evidence of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in Darfur On February 27th, the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC named two suspects, Ahmad Harun, former Minister of State for the Interior of the Government of Sudan, and Ali Kushayb, a Janjaweed leader, in his application to the Pre-Trial Chamber seeking a summons to appear.
ICC Darfur.pdf

Democratic Republic of The Congo (DRC)
Arrest of Germain Katanga The Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice has released a statement on the arrest of Germain Katanga, former senior commander of the Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI) militia in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Katanga is charged with 9 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity including sexual slavery. Read the Statement.

For more news and updates on the developments in the DRC case, click here

On November 10, 2006, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice re-filed its application to Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC requesting leave to prepare an amicus brief in relation to the situation in the DRC.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-313_English.pdf

On September 26, 2006, Pre-Trial Chamber I decided that the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice Request for the Judges to review the Prosecutor’s exercise of discretion in the selection of charges and to determine whether broader charges could be considered, had no link with the case brought against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo by the Prosecutor.

Instead the Pre-Trial Chamber invited the Women’s Initiatives to re-file its Request to prepare an amicus in relation to the DRC situation rather than the case against the suspect.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-06-480_English.pdf

In September 2006, women’s rights and human rights activists in DRC issued a declaration on the arrest of Mr Thomas Lubanga.

On September 7, 2006, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice submitted an application to Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC requesting leave to prepare an amicus brief in relation to the case against Mr. Lubanga.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-06-403_English.pdf

On August 16, 2006, the Women’s Initiatives submitted the confidential report and a letter to the Office of the Prosecutor describing our grave concerns that gender-based crimes have not been adequately investigated in the case against Thomas Lubanga and providing information about the commission of these crimes by the UPC.

Redacted letter to the Prosecutor, which for security reasons has been edited to omit identifying information.
PDF file with Prosecutor Letter August 2006 Redacted

http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-06-403-Anx1-Corr_English.pdf