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Put an end to impunity by investigating and prosecuting and ensuring access to justice for victims/survivors.

Raise awareness of the prohibition against sexual and gender-based violence and the need to prevent such violence and to assist and protect victims/survivors.

Ensure that victims/survivors have access to care ensuring their dignity, safety and preventing stigmatization.

Review and strengthen, if necessary, domestic legal frameworks.

Combatting gender-based violence is a foreign policy priority of Switzerland, and from the beginning of 2017, one of four priority topics of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Department.

• In late 2016, an operational concept 2017-2020 for this new priority topic was launched, which foresees the scaling of SGBV-specific projects providing protection and multi-sectoral services for survivors of SGBV in SDC/HA’s field operations, the promotion of SGBV mainstreaming and risk mitigation, support towards effective humanitarian coordination on SGBV, in-country and global-level advocacy on SGBV, enhanced cooperation on SGBV with SDC/HA priority partners and local (women’s) NGOs, and research and advocacy towards a gender-inclusive approach, which better addresses the specific needs of both male and female survivors of sexual violence.

• The operational concept applies to conflict settings as well as to natural disasters and other emergencies. It covers preparedness, response to immediate crisis and the recovery phase. Principles of action include a survivor-centred approach, women’s participation in programming and decision-making, and the engagement of men and boys, as well as religious leaders.

• SDC/HA and SDC/GC provide core contributions to partner organizations implementing SGBV-specific programmes (including access to sexual and reproductive health), including the ICRC (which includes multi-sectoral services for survivors and dissemination of IHL), IFRC, UNFPA, IPPF, UN Women, UNICEF, UNHCR and UNRWA, and is funding several bilateral projects on SGBV prevention and response across the globe.

• Switzerland is partner to the Call to Action on protection from GBV in emergencies, has issued SGBV-specific commitments in the framework of the WHS and under the Call to Action roadmap, and is currently co-leading the Call to Action states and donor working group.

• Switzerland has been supporting the NGO Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WI) which advocates for gender justice through domestic mechanisms as well as the International Criminal Court. WI monitors the work of the ICC and advocates for the inclusion of women in the international justice process as well as accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes (SGBCs) with situations under investigation by the ICC. Switzerland’s support of WI focuses on activities in Uganda and the DRC.

• Switzerland is well advanced in the process of ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, a key instrument at regional level to fight sexual and gender-based violence and to take measures to prevent violence against women, protect its victims and prosecute the perpetrators.