United Nations: Universal Survivor Bill of RightsMake the world better for survivors
Justice should not depend on geography.
Prior to 2022, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) had never passed a resolution focused solely on sexual violence survivors’ rights. In September 2022, Rise engineered the successful adoption of a UNGA resolution called the Universal Survivor Bill of Rights, securing access to justice for survivors worldwide, believing justice should not depend on geography.
Sexual violence has reached epidemic levels. According to the World Health Organization, 35% of women on earth – 1.3 billion people – are sexual violence survivors, equivalent to the entire populations of North America and Europe, combined. Rape is an epidemic. Sexual violence is a global emergency. It’s time we start treating it like one.
Kadijatu, a refugee from Sierra Leone, speaking at the United Nations
The United Nations Resolution provides access to justice and protection for survivors of sexual violence around the world.
The Universal Survivor Bill of Rights:
- Condemns all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, and urges Member States to provide victims and survivors of sexual violence with access to the mechanisms of justice
- Urges States to take effective action for survivors, providing relevant, comprehensive, gender-responsive legal protection, legal assistance, improved legal infrastructure – and gender responsive and disability-inclusive training into justice systems
- Stresses that adequate resources should be assigned to the United Nations system for the promotion of gender equality, the empowerment of women and the human rights of women and girls
- Calls upon the UN and other international and regional organizations to engage civil society organizations that promote access to justice, remedies, reparations and assistance for victims and survivors
- Urges Member States to protect human rights of all women and their sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights
- Requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the present resolution by Member States and the United Nations system to the General Assembly
- Continues consideration of access to justice, remedies and assistance for victims and survivors of sexual violence under the item entitled “International cooperation on access to justice for survivors of sexual violence”
We exist. We are here. It is time for the world to stand with survivors.
Join us in making the world better for sexual violence survivors.
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