United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture < SRHM

June 26 is observed as International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, to speak out against the crime of torture and honor victims and survivors of torture. On this day in 1987, the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into force. Torture is any act through which extreme physical or mental pain or suffering is intentionally inflicted on a person, as a form of punishment, discrimination or to obtain information or a confession.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights condemns torture and any other degrading or cruel treatment of people without the consent of a person acting in an official capacity or a lawful employee.

In the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights, torture takes many forms, including gender-based violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, abuse, obstetric violence and others, profoundly affecting sexual agency, physical and mental health and dignity of affected persons. Some forms of torture are more prevalent in areas affected by humanitarian crises and conflicts, such as Gaza, Ukraine, and among refugee groups seeking refuge in other countries. Despite human rights laws and regulations, such violence is perpetrated against vulnerable groups around the world.

SRHM strongly condemns torture and inhumane treatment of all kinds and has published important articles on the challenges of ending different types of torture (such as sexual violence and intimate partner violence) in many countries, the factors behind the prevalence of abuse and suffering despite human rights laws and policies, and the effectiveness and feasibility of interventions and policies that can help end these inhumane practices.

Below is a list of articles on this topic:

2023:

Victims or perpetrators, agency and the politics of intimate partner violence in the social construction of health and well-being: a qualitative study from Kenya

2021:

Harmful practices prevail despite legal knowledge: a mixed method study of the child marriage paradox in Bangladesh

2020:

OHCHR’s background note on human rights violations against intersex people

2019:

Ending the abuse: the human rights implications of obstetric violence and the promise of a rights-based policy to deliver respectful maternity care

Mortality in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh: historical, social and political context

An exploration of gender-based violence in eastern Myanmar in the context of political transition: findings from a qualitative assessment of sexual and reproductive health

2018: