[SCL Lecture] Sexual terrorism
Published 6 November 2020
On Thursday 10 December 2020 (Human Rights Day), the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, in cooperation with IMPACT: Center against Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence in Conflict, will organise a supranational criminal law (SCL) lecture on ‘sexual terrorism’.
The online lecture, which will take place from 16:00 to 17:15 CET, will explore the concept of ‘sexual terrorism’ – the use of human trafficking and conflict-related sexual violence as a tactic of terrorism – as well as the advantages and disadvantages of labelling and prosecuting human trafficking and conflict-related sexual violence as terrorism.
The lecture will zoom in on terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria which has committed rapes and other forms of sexual violence since 2009, to see how this discussion plays out in reality and what can be done to engender real change on the ground. After the Q&A, the lecture will conclude with a reflection from the UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Panelists (to be confirmed):
-Dr Anne-Marie de Brouwer, Co-founder and team member of IMPACT: Center against Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence in Conflict
-Dr Eefje de Volder, Co-founder and team member of IMPACT: Center against Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence in Conflict
-Lauren Aarons, Head of the Gender, Sexuality and Identity team at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International
-Adejoké Babington-Ashaye, Senior counsel at the World Bank
-Sofia Candeias, Member of the UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict
Further reading:
How to respond to sexual terrorism?
Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have been massively involved in ‘sexual terrorism’: using human trafficking and conflict-related sexual violence as tactics of terrorism. At the same time, state responses are meager and have sometimes been counterproductive. This is the main conclusion of a new article authored by Dr Anne-Marie de Brouwer and Dr Eefje de Volder from IMPACT – Center Against Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence in Conflict and Asser senior researcher Dr Christophe Paulussen. Read further here.