On March 20, 2014, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice launched the Gender Report Card on the International Criminal Court 2013. The Gender Report Card is one of the monitoring and advocacy strategies utilized by the Women’s Initiatives to track and analyse progress, challenges and advances in the field of international criminal law with a focus on gender justice in particular.

The Gender Report Card 2013 provides an overview of all situations and cases before the court, and outlines and analyses charges brought by the Office of the Prosecutor for gender-based crimes. It summarizes the most significant developments within the unprecedented number of trials underway or awaiting judgement before the court during 2013. For the first time, the Gender Report Card 2013 contains a section highlighting developments in the court’s ongoing appeals proceedings.

The Gender Report Card 2013 also covers other issues of note in relation to the participation, protection and support of victims and witnesses, including changes to the victim participation application process and the allegations of sexual violence committed against witnesses under the court’s protection, as well as the ICC’s response to these allegations.

Additionally, the Gender Report Card 2013 provides a comprehensive analysis of important developments during the Assembly of States Parties, including the proposal and ultimate adoption of three amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, as well as the adoption of a resolution that fully operationalized the court’s Independent Oversight Mechanism.

Departing from previous editions, the Gender Report Card 2013 does not contain a section on Structures and Institutional Development. Given that two editions of the Gender Report Card will be published during 2014 on an exceptional basis, structures and institutional development will be comprehensively addressed in the 2014 issue of the Gender Report Card, which will be launched during the Assembly of States Parties in December 2014.

The Women’s Initiatives will also address other noteworthy decisions and developments not covered in the Gender Report Card 2013 in forthcoming publications, including editions of the Legal Eye on the ICC eLetter, and the Gender Report Card 2014.

The Gender Report Card 2013 provides the most comprehensive gender analysis of the ICC currently available.