International attention to conflict-related sexual violence has surged in recent years. Yet while most of the literature and legal instruments focus on strengthening accountability for crimes against women and girls, who are often seen as the main targets of abuse, men and boys around the world are also targets of sexual violence during armed conflict and in its aftermath. The experiences of male survivors of sexual violence in conflict, however, remain under-reported and under-studied, and demand recognition and accountability. The clinic partnered with the Refugee Law Project (RLP), the largest refugee service provider in East Africa, to promote access to justice for male survivors. In April 2013, clinic students presented legal research at an RLP-sponsored convening in Kampala, Uganda which brought together male survivors, service providers, policy makers, and academics to discuss and strategize how to meet the health and legal needs of survivors. The research identifies gaps in domestic legal protections for victims, and informs an advocacy agenda that promotes legal accountability for sexual violence against men. This comprehensive analysis was published in June 2013 as Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Men: A Comparative Legal Analysis of International and Domestic Laws Relating to IDP and Refugee Men in Uganda. Clinic director, Professor Laurel E. Fletcher presented the research in July 2013 at a U.N. meeting on sexual violence against men and boys in armed conflict. For more information about the working paper and its impact, please visit our news page articles, Clinic’s Work Supports UN’s New Approach to Sexual Violence and New Report Lays Groundwork for Accountability for Sexual Violence Against Men in Armed Conflict.
The project has continued to promote wider discussion of justice for male survivors at the national, regional, and international levels. In November 2013, the clinic participated in the high-level Public Interest Litigation Planning Workshop in Kampala that brought together lawyers and activists from across the African continent to critically examine available legal options and opportunities for male victims and survivors of conflict related sexual violence to access justice. In February 2014, the clinic and RLP submitted a Commentary on the ICC Draft Policy on Sexual and Gender Based Crimes with the goal to strengthen the International Criminal Court’s investigations, charging, prosecutions, and sentencing, though a gender-inclusive approach to sexual and gender based crimes in conflict situations. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor released its final policy in June 2014.