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MONTHLY ACTION POINTS ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY

The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has released the April 2026 edition of Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council.

MAP offers analysis and advocacy points on country situations and thematic issues relevant to the Security Council’s agenda for the coming month.  These concise notes are intended for Security Council Members, civil society organisations, Member States and UN entities and should be widely distributed.

 

MAP FOR THE SECURITY COUNCIL: APRIL 2026

or April, in which Bahrain is president of the UN Security Council, the MAP provides recommendations on the situations in Haiti, South Sudan and Sudan.

Haiti

Violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Haiti continue with impunity as criminal violence enabled by arms trafficking destabilizes the country. Drone strikes by security forces and private contractors, and disproportionate use of lethal force by police, also increasingly put Haitians at serious risk. Over 1.4 million people are internally displaced, over half of whom are women and girls. Violence perpetrated against Haitians is highly gendered: while men are primarily targeted for killing, diverse women and girls are primarily targeted for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) by criminal groups as a means to assert dominance, spread terror, and punish communities, with displaced women and girls at particular risk and rape by multiple perpetrators the most common form of sexual violence. Many victims and survivors are left without recourse in the face of a weakened justice system, entrenched corruption and an understaffed, under-resourced police force. Many survivors, including LGBTIQ people and those targeted in displacement sites, do not report sexual violence for fear of reprisal and stigmatization; in addition, displacement sites frequently lack reporting mechanisms. Girls recruited into criminal groups are forced into traditional gender roles where they face sexual violence and exploitation. Ongoing violence limits access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, including post-rape care for SGBV survivors. Access to safe abortion also remains difficult despite recent partial decriminalization.

Haitian women remain sidelined in the political transition process. Only five of the 18 members of the new cabinet are women, falling below the 30% minimum quota established by Haiti’s constitution.

The Security Council should:

  • Call for the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) authorized by Resolution 2793 (2025) to take all measures to prevent the unlawful use of force, harm to local populations and other abuses by establishing clear, mandatory and enforceable parameters that detail the operational and oversight measures for protection of civilians, including by integrating gender and women protection advisers into planning and operations. Ensure GSF personnel receive training to support and respond to all survivors of SGBV, and ensure accessible and effective remedies for victims and promote full adherence to the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.
  • Demand full compliance with the UN arms embargo on Haiti, and call on all Member States to take steps to stop the flow of arms in order to prevent further violence against Haitian women and girls. Request the availability of gender and SGBV expertise in the Panel of Experts supporting the sanctions committee, and the use of gender analysis in their reports and investigations.
  • Condemn the surge in reported cases of rape and sexual violence and urge the provision of comprehensive, gender-sensitive and age-appropriate support services for survivors. Call on all actors, including the Government of Haiti and international partners, to prioritize strengthening prevention, protection and accountability mechanisms to address and deter sexual violence, such as the specialized judicial units tasked with investigating and prosecuting mass crimes including sexual violence.
  • Demand respect for women’s human rights, and condemn all violations thereof, including attacks on women human rights defenders (WHRDs), civil society and aid workers, who must be able to operate freely and without fear of reprisal.
  • Demand that all peace, security, transitional and political processes are Haitian-led and Haitian-owned, and ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and leadership of diverse women throughout. Call on the transitional government to take measures to realize the constitutionally-mandated 30% minimum quota for women’s representation, including through enforcement of the quota for electoral lists.
  • Urge donors to fully fund the humanitarian response and allocate increased flexible and direct funding to grassroots women-led and women’s rights organizations. Call for increased, immediate, safe, gender-responsive and non-discriminatory delivery of humanitarian aid, including comprehensive SRH care, to all Haitians in need.
  • Urge all Member States to maintain temporary protection or refugee status for Haitians, and to refrain from forcibly returning Haitian migrants, in particular pregnant and postpartum women and unaccompanied children, to Haiti in accordance with international law.

South Sudan

South Sudan risks a return to full-scale war as violence escalates and authorities systematically dismantle the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Over 276,000 people, 61% of whom are women and girls, have been displaced since the start of 2026. Nearly 6 million people face acute food insecurity, including over 1 million acutely malnourished pregnant or breastfeeding women, and two states face a risk of famine. SGBV, including rape, abduction, exploitation and forced marriage, remains a serious concern for women and girls, particularly those who are displaced; in some cases, SGBV has been perpetrated on the basis of ethnicity. 1.3 million refugees and returnees have entered the country from Sudan since that conflict began in April 2023, compounding existing humanitarian challenges in South Sudan. Bureaucratic constraints, access restrictions and evacuation orders, funding cuts and targeted violence against humanitarian providers have forced the suspension of vital services including SRH care and SGBV response services.

Authorities have consistently failed to implement the R-ARCSS by violating the ceasefire, delaying election preparations and neglecting institutional, legal and policy reforms, including constitution making, judicial reform and transitional justice; rampant corruption further inhibits implementation efforts. Women’s representation continues to fall short of the 35% quota established by the R-ARCSS. Civic space is severely constrained as the government and National Security Service (NSS) repress dissent with impunity, including through arbitrary detention of political opposition members. WHRDs and women’s civil society report surveillance, intimidation and gender-based harassment by state authorities, both in-country and abroad.

The Security Council should:

  • Renew in full the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as contained in Resolution 2779 (2025). Safeguard and maintain all provisions related to women, peace and security (WPS) including: gender considerations as a cross-cutting issue throughout the mandate; providing specific protection for women including through the deployment of women protection advisers and gender advisers; facilitating access to organizations providing services and support to survivors, including SRH care; assisting all parties to provide the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and effective engagement of women in implementation of the R-ARCSS; providing technical assistance and capacity building to support investigation and prosecution of SGBV using a survivor-centered approach; accelerating implementation of monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements (MARA) on SGBV, including CRSV; and reporting on the presence of alleged perpetrators of CRSV in positions of power, and analysis of measures taken to address CRSV.
  • Demand that all parties immediately cease hostilities and take all necessary measures to protect civilians, including from SGBV. Call on all parties to recommit to implementation of the R-ARCSS and work to deescalate tensions.
  • Demand that all parties guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout South Sudan and the protection of all humanitarian workers and facilities.
  • Demand the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of diverse women through enforcement of the minimum 35% quota in the implementation of the R-ARCSS, as well as ongoing constitutional, electoral and transitional justice processes and any peace or de-escalation efforts.
  • Urge the South Sudanese authorities to end practices of unlawful arrest and detention, including by releasing or presenting in court all detainees under NSS detention; uphold due process and ensure fair trial proceedings in line with international human rights standards; and protect the rights of freedom of assembly, association and expression.
  • Call on the South Sudanese authorities to take concrete steps to ensure accountability and address impunity for SGBV, including by finalizing the proposed Anti-Gender-Based Violence Bill, pending since 2020.
  • Call on donors to fully fund the humanitarian response; provide direct, flexible and consistent funding to diverse local women-led, LGBTIQ-led and women’s rights organizations; strengthen services, including SRH care, for SGBV survivors, particularly in displacement sites and transit corridors; and ensure a gender-responsive humanitarian architecture.
  • Demand full compliance with the UN arms embargo on South Sudan in order to prevent further human rights violations, including SGBV, against women and girls.

Sudan

Three years of war in Sudan have had a devastating impact on women and girls. UN and international experts have documented widespread violations of international law by all warring parties, some of which could amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide. In particular, systematic attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allies on Zaghawa, Masalit and Fur communities in Darfur, including the siege and takeover of El Fasher, indicate genocidal intent. Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis. Ongoing conflict and humanitarian access restrictions have also created the world’s largest hunger crisis, which particularly impacts women and girls: three quarters of women-headed households are food insecure, and women frequently eat last and least and are often compelled to adopt harmful coping strategies that increase protection risks.

Widespread SGBV enabled by the proliferation of arms remains pervasive, particularly CRSV, including kidnapping, rape, sexual slavery and sexual exploitation. Women and girls from non-Arab tribes have been targeted for CRSV based on their ethnicity, which could constitute an act of genocide. Women activists, journalists, peacebuilders and WHRDs have been targeted and intimidated for their work, and civic space is increasingly constrained. With up to 80% of health facilities in conflict zones non-functional, and continued attacks on health providers and facilities, survivors have limited access to health care, particularly SRH care, including safe abortion, and psychosocial support. Emergency response rooms and other community organizations, including women-led organizations, play a pivotal role in delivering assistance, but reprisals and severe funding shortfalls threaten their continued operations.

The Security Council should:

  • Demand all parties fully comply with Resolution 2736 (2024), including through: seeking an immediate cessation of hostilities; protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure; ending, preventing and ensuring accountability for all acts of SGBV; and ensuring rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access into and throughout Sudan and the protection of humanitarian personnel, including local and national women-led organizations.
  • Demand the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of diverse women in all efforts to build peace, and request Member States, regional organizations and the UN to report to the Security Council on steps taken to ensure women’s inclusion in these processes.
  • Per Resolution 2736 (2024), call on external actors to refrain from interfering in the conflict, including by supplying weapons to the warring parties in violation of the arms embargo. Expand the arms embargo to apply to all of Sudan.
  • Request that the UN continue to assess and identify actionable options for the protection of civilians.
  • Call on Member States to urgently fund the humanitarian and refugee response plans; support neighboring countries and host communities; and provide increased, flexible, sustainable and direct funding to diverse local civil society and humanitarian organizations, including women-led, LGBTIQ-led and women’s rights organizations.
  • Expand the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court to cover the entire territory of Sudan. Call on all warring parties to allow unfettered access for independent monitors and investigators.
  • Strengthen the UN Country Team’s capacity to monitor, document and report on human rights violations, including by establishing MARA on CRSV. Update the current sanctions regime to include SGBV as a stand-alone designation criterion.