Sexual Violence – Model pledges for National Societies

• Support the development and strengthening of the capacities of national institutions, in particular of judicial and specialized health systems, and of local civil society networks, including grass-roots structures, in order to boost risk reduction and provide sustainable assistance and protection to victims of sexual violence in armed conflict and other emergencies.
• Invest in training local experts, including psychosocial experts, and raising public awareness in order to mitigate stigmatization and strengthen the resilience of victims of sexual violence in armed conflict and other emergencies.
• Support other national authorities in their efforts to bring their law and practice into line with international standards on addressing sexual violence in armed conflict and other emergencies.
• Conduct training sessions for staff, volunteers and other humanitarian actors on the categorical prohibition of rape and other forms of sexual violence in all circumstances, and adopt a zero-tolerance policy on this issue.

Action plan