1. INTRODUCTION
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a persistent problem in places of deprivation of liberty. This reflects not only the extent to which society tolerates such
violence, but also the fact that acts of SGBV in places of deprivation of liberty remain
largely ignored and under-reported, and authorities often fail in their duty to protect
detainees and prisoners.
Criminal justice systems often lack clear policies for responding to SGBV, and staff do
not receive adequate training on identifying and responding to such abuse. Authorities fail to take SGBV seriously when it occurs in detention settings, or they dismiss it
as an inherent aspect of prison life. Society can also be dismissive of SGBV in detention settings, due to bias against those behind bars and the marginalized communities that are overrepresented in closed facilities.
Only limited attention has been devoted globally to understanding the nature and
extent of SGBV in places of deprivation of liberty, the characteristics of perpetrators
and victims, and the most effective interventions for preventing and responding to it
when it occurs. Similarly, little effort has been made to protect those most vulnerable
to SGBV or to effectively deal with the consequences for victims, perpetrators and
society as a whole.
Monitoring mechanisms can play a key role in detecting instances of SGBV in places
of deprivation of liberty. Monitors can identify risk factors, detect misconduct and
provide recommendations to authorities on how to tackle this form of violence. It is
also now well established that monitoring is an important factor in preventing SGBV
and other forms of abuse.
There is already a wealth of guidance available on monitoring places of deprivation
of liberty, including in relation to torture and other ill-treatment. Yet, while SGBV
may often constitute torture and other ill-treatment, there is little specific guidance
available on monitoring for SGBV, gender-sensitive monitoring or the particular chal-
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