THEMATIC REPORT 2017 SEXUAL TORTURE Key Action 8: Advocate for change The increasing body of evidence and data concerning sexual torture will also enable NGOs, legal institutions, civil society and academics to advocate for change. Awarenessraising at community meetings or youth groups, advocacy campaigns targeted at policy-makers, strategic litigation, production of leaflets, posters and booklets about sexual torture will all help to change public perceptions about the issue and can lead to positive changes in the law and increased empowerment of survivors. Furthermore, survivors who have managed to overcome their past may become advocates themselves, supporting other survivors through their rehabilitation and working for organisations which fight for justice. This report shows that a key problem underlying disclosing sexual torture and the difficulty of victims to claim their right to rehabilitation and justice is the strong social stigmatisation that the crime causes. Long-term communitybased work on the social perception of sexual violence and torture is therefore fundamental for achieving sustainable change. This might include advocacy that discusses the way we deal with sexuality in general, taboos, shame and stigma, gender roles, and the persistence of gender-based and sexual violence and torture. Key action 8 Advocate for change Challenges: • Social stigma concerning sexual torture is still strong in many societies. • Very few perpetrators are being brought to justice. • Laws and policies are in many states still not supportive of survivors. • There is limited funding to support survivors in accessing medical and psychological care. • Social and economic assistance is still inadequate. Recommendations: • NGOs and civil society should advocate for change and call on the state to realise all reforms necessary for the prevention of sexual torture and the right of survivors to rehabilitation and justice. • States should invest in community-based strategies to create sustainable change in the perception of sexual violence and torture. • Data should be used by NGOs and all other stakeholders to reinforce and consolidate advocacy aspirations with evidence. page 34