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 IV throughout the different sections of the report, avoiding inconsistencies and contradictions. For example, if information related to violations of women’s human rights is presented in the background information section, it must also be addressed in the findings section. The legal analysis should include findings on the specific provisions of international law that have been breached, considering the entire applicable legal framework relevant for the investigation, including the relevant international human rights and humanitarian legal framework and international criminal law, if pertinent to the mandate. In doing so, gender equality standards should not be overlooked.62 B USING GENDER-SENSITIVE LANGUAGE Using gender-sensitive language and disaggregated data is an important step towards achieving gender equality. It helps to avoid a style of writing that “erases” women and omits phrases that reaffirm and perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes.63 Reports should avoid language that subsumes women to homogenous categories as “a group”, when in fact they represent half of the world population, or that include women and children in the same group. Stereotyping attributes are also common, for example reports should avoid portraying only men as leaders and women as followers, or men as active and women as passive and “vulnerable”. Women and girls are not intrinsically vulnerable or victims by nature. This stereotypical language denies women and girls’ agency, depicting them as weak and passive bystanders of conflict and agentless victims, and builds a distorted, male-dominated narrative that contributes to women and girls’ exclusion from decision-making, transitional justice, peace-building and reconciliation efforts. Example Several CoIs/FFMs have included gendersensitive legal analysis of human rights violations, violations and breaches of international humanitarian law and international crimes, which, depending on the circumstances, could constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or acts of genocide. These have included, for instance, cases of rape against women, girls and men, forced marriage of women and girls, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence, as well as the execution of homosexuals and of women, men and children accused of adultery. (e.g. A/HRC/32/CRP.2; A/ HRC/37/CRP.3) For example: • Always use available disaggregated data on age and sex (e.g. instead of saying “five journalists were arbitrarily detained”, use “three female and two male journalists were arbitrarily detained”; instead of saying “twenty-four persons, including two women and two children”, use “twenty men, two women, one boy and one girl”). • It is particularly important to avoid referring specifically to women when speaking only about certain violations (e.g. sexual violence), while using gender-neutral nouns when reporting on others (e.g. killings, torture, disappearances). Photographs may be used for advocacy and dissemination purposes, giving due respect to issues of consent, confidentiality and protection concerns. These should reflect the experiences of both men and women and should not limit women’s experience to experience of sexual violence. For more information, see CEDAW general recommendation No. 30 (2013). For more information on gender-sensitive language, see United Nations, Gender Sensitive Language: Guidelines. 62 63 52