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The Red Line Initiative
Welcome to the Red Line Initiative led by the Mukwege Foundation.
Our mission is to put an end to the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence in all its forms, including when used as a weapon of war. We believe that the use of sexual violence in conflict can be prevented and must be prioritised as wholly unacceptable.
The Red Line Initiative closely collaborates with SEMA, the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence.
What we do
Conflict-related sexual violence is not only opportunistic. It is also used as a method of warfare by armed groups fighting in conflicts to terrorise and displace a civilian population, to persecute and destroy an ethnic group, as a “reward” for combatants, or for financial gains. Perpetrators of these crimes largely go unpunished, and judicial processes rarely meet survivors’ needs.
To break the cycle of violence and culture of impunity, we work to demand a strong response from States at both the national and international levels.
Moral Outcry
We seek to evoke a clear rejection of conflict-related sexual violence in all its forms, including as a method of warfare.
Legal Strengthening
We work to strengthen and clarify the legal obligations of States, so that they actively prevent and punish conflict-related sexual violence and adopt redress measures.
Political Will
We advocate and educate to build political will to push for a more robust and timely response by States in line with their international obligations.
How we do it
Action-driven
Together with survivors, we explore solutions to fill current gaps within existing international and domestic legal frameworks and propose solutions to address them.
We have created the “Guidebook on State Obligations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence,” an accessible and user-friendly toolkit for NGOs, policy officers, survivors’ networks, and government personnel who are willing to innovate and change the global response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
The Guidebook compiles the applicable international law and standards relevant to CRSV to comprehensively inform States of their current obligations.
Survivor-centred
Together with SEMA, the Global Network of Victims and Survivors of Wartime Sexual Violence, we are supporting the Survivors’ Call to Action. In thirteen demands, survivors call on States to meet their international obligations by taking concrete actions to prevent, respond, and repair the harm sexual violence causes in entire communities.
In all our advocacy, we strive to put these demands forward and work towards States’ compliance with their existing legal obligations. The Red Line Initiative ultimately aims to ensure survivors’ rights for justice and accountability.
