Panel 5: Jaqueline Mutere, Fanta Doumbia, Ottilia Anna
Maunganidze and Brenda Mutere.
Maunganidze highlighted the high statistics of
gender-based violence in South Africa, a state that
is not in conflict. In South Africa, four out of nine
women will be raped in their lifetime. However,
fewer than 15 per cent of the perpetrators are
arrested and, of those prosecuted, most are not
convicted. Indeed, just under 0.15 per cent of all
perpetrators are convicted. South Africa, however,
is ‘at peace’; the statistics for countries in conflict
are much worse. Maunganidze highlighted that the
criminal justice system alone cannot address this
problem, particularly in conflict-ridden or postconflict nations. For Maunganidze, this highlights
the fact that very few victims will experience
justice. Maunganidze raised concerns about how
most sexual violence goes unreported on account
of how it is dealt with by officials – particularly
during conflict. She also emphasised the need to
ensure that actions taken do not ignore the root
causes of the problem.
Maunganidze thus proposed that justice should
be framed in a manner akin to an analogue clock,
with all the parts moving together in unison. She
emphasised the need to listen to, and understand
the needs of the victims and assess the impact
of general accountability mechanisms, as well as
the need to work on mechanisms that require,
assert and promote peace – including economic
vitalisation, community rebuilding and inclusive
politics (personal, public, and private). For
Maunganidze, this can result in a system that
reproduces itself in society. Maunganidze
concluded by highlighting the need for holistic
care for victims, including provision of basic
services and safe spaces, while maintaining justice
as a process that can restore people’s dignity and
lead to sustainable peace.
FANTA DOUMBIA
fd
President, Organisations de Femmes Actives
de Côte d’Ivoire
Impact of judicial and non-judicial processes of
accountability for sexual violence in Côte d’Ivoire
Doumbia’s presentation focused on the impact
and actions of victims’ organisations in dealing
with post-electoral violence in Côte d’Ivoire in
2010. Doumbia’s organisation, Organisations de
Femmes Actives de Côte d’Ivoire, investigated
the violence to which women were subjected
in the course of the post-electoral violence and
documented 766 cases of violence, of which 217
were physical attacks and 75 were cases of rape.
Doumbia noted the manner in which Ivorian
women were instruments of this conflict. This
resulted in nationwide investigations and the
creation of a truth and reconciliation commission.
A special cell for these investigations was created
to determine and prosecute perpetrators of the
violations that took place.
Despite the widespread proliferation of genderbased violence, none of the documented crimes
were gender-based crimes. On account of this, the
Organisations de Femmes Actives de Côte d’Ivoire
PANEL 5: The impacts of accountability processes for sexual and gender-based violence
/21
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