We are writing to address a catastrophic, ongoing violation of human rights that spans every country, culture, and continent. We demand that UN Women and the United Nations officially declare Gender-Based Violence (GBV) a Global Emergency Issue.

For centuries—let that sink in, not for years or decades, but for centuries—women and girls have lived under the systemic terror of violence. Because the vast majority of cases go entirely unreported, the world has failed to grasp the true, staggering tenure of this problem. This centuries-old silence must end.

Furthermore, we unequivocally condemn the horrific, systemic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in conflict zones across the globe. These atrocious acts, which are currently severely underreported, can no longer be tolerated as an inevitable byproduct of conflict. We demand that the International Criminal Court (ICC) aggressively exercise its mandate under the Rome Statute to prosecute these acts as crimes against humanity and war crimes, ensuring that every single perpetrator identified—from individual soldiers on the ground to the highest-ranking commanders—is held fully accountable.

We further call on the UN Security Council to mandate specialized investigative bodies, modeled after mechanisms like the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), to preserve evidence specifically relating to conflict-related sexual violence. These crimes must be met with severe, extraordinary legal frameworks that mandate prosecution. International mechanisms must provide the necessary security, resources, and psychological support to encourage survivor victims to safely come forward and report these crimes, ensuring no case is swept under the rug.

A global emergency declaration must mandate that every single member state declare a national state of emergency regarding GBV within their own borders, committing to immediate, concrete legal and structural actions:

Robust Legal Frameworks & Severe Penalties: Enact strict laws that explicitly criminalize all forms of gender-based violence, backed by severe penalties that reflect the gravity of these crimes and act as a genuine deterrent.
Rigorous Law Enforcement: Train judicial and law enforcement systems to handle GBV cases with urgency, sensitivity, and zero tolerance for perpetrators.
Comprehensive Protection & Shelters: Fund and establish accessible, safe, and fully resourced shelters for victims, alongside ironclad protection mechanisms for individuals in immediate danger.
Empowerment to Report: Build safe, trusted reporting environments that actively encourage survivors to come forward, ensuring they are met with belief, dignity, and justice rather than stigma.
Crucially, this declaration must recognize that those most affected must be the ones driving the solution. Women must have a powerful voice at every single level. We demand that women participate actively and equally as decision-makers, leaders, and architects of the policies, laws, and enforcement strategies needed to dismantle this systemic crisis.

The time for passive awareness has passed. We call on UN Women and the United Nations to lead this vital shift from standard advocacy to emergency intervention.