I N T E G R AT I N G A G E N D E R P E R S P E C T I V E I N T O H U M A N R I G H T S I N V E S T I G AT I O N S • G U I D A N C E A N D P R A C T I C E
II Investigation
Investigation and
information-gathering
primary sources (such as victims, witnesses,
Human Rights Officers’ direct observations
at the locations where events occurred and
declarations by alleged perpetrators) and
secondary sources (such as second-hand
testimonies, the media, information provided
by United Nations entities, humanitarian actors,
civil society actors, medical or forensic reports
and certificates). Information comes in various
forms: oral testimony, documents, video material,
photographs, personal observations and satellite
images.33 In particular, Human Rights Officers
should map out the most relevant sources of
information that would contribute to a gender
analysis. These may include the following, for
instance:
During the documentation and investigation
phase, information should be gathered
from a wide range of sources to allow for a
comprehensive analysis of violations or abuses
and possible gendered impacts suffered by
women, men and others and to reveal preexisting forms of violence and discrimination.
In addition to considering various sources of
information that will be useful to an investigation,
this chapter will provide guidance on collecting
and organizing gender-related data, as well as
strategies to overcome some of the challenges
that may present themselves during the
information-gathering process.
A
• Victims and witnesses of any practices of
GBV and other gender-related violations.
In addition, Human Rights Officers should
be mindful to ask the relevant question
in all interviews (not only of GBV victims
INFORMATION-GATHERING AND
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
See OHCHR, Commissions of Inquiry and Fact-finding
Missions on International Human Rights and Humanitarian
Law (2015), p. 42.
33
Depending on the mandate and the context,
main sources of information may include
24
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