Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice

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