A/HRC/42/CRP.1 obstructed gender-based violence protection or awareness raising activities carried out by such local or international organisations. De facto authority agencies refused to authorise gender-based violence protection and awareness-raising programs, harassing and threatened staff, accusing them of prostitution, raiding their premises, and detaining staff. This has had the effect of dismantling protection and prevention networks, placing women and girls at further risk of harm, dissuading them from pursuing accountability and preventing longterm measures to combat gender-based violence.982 The Group also received reports of members of armed groups in southern governorates under Government and United Arab Emirates’ control harassing protection workers. 983 635. The Group received reports of a collapse of criminal justice system support against gender-based violence since the advent of the conflict, and that in 2018-2019 law enforcement agencies within the Government and de facto authorities refused to investigate and prosecute cases of gender-based violence. In some cases that have been investigated, victims have been re-victimized and, where cases are publicised, this has in some cases been used as a political tool.984 In the cases of sexual violence documented by the Group, all committed by fighters, detention guards or law enforcement, no perpetrators were brought to justice. Moreover, the Group of Experts did not receive any information indicating that the gender-based violence violations identified in its 2018 report have been meaningfully investigated and addressed by the parties identified as responsible. 636. In two cases in Aden, law enforcement personnel who were perpetrators reportedly married survivors of gender-based violence.985 In another case in Aden a woman’s young daughter was raped, and on reporting this to police, the mother was met with threats and herself gang raped.986 In cases of kidnapping of girls in Sana’a, de facto authorities prevented investigations, protected perpetrators, and re-victimized survivors.987 Coupled with the re-emergence of the old customs and laws, this risks an increasing reliance on traditional forms of mediation and redress for gender-based violence, such as material compensation to male relatives.988 Such mediation perpetuates status inequalities, undermines confidence in protection and accountability mechanisms, and ensures violations remain undocumented. Together, these factors have resulted in a dearth of options for survivors and families to seek redress, protection and accountability. 5. Gender-based violence 637. Women, girls, men and boys, as a result of the conflict and normative context, are at serious of risk of all forms of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence was endemic and widespread before the conflict, particularly domestic violence and child marriage. 989 A number of reliable secondary surveys, interviews and focus groups, representing women across a number of governorates, reported that between 2016-2019 the highest risk of gender-based violence perceived by women and girls in Yemen was from domestic violence perpetrated by family members, and that this was increasing in prevalence during the conflict.990 Since the advent of the war, UNFPA has documented continuing rises in survivors accessing gender-based violence services, despite the multiple barriers to reporting and the increased challenges to such services, with rises of up to 70 per cent in some governorates.991 In 2018-2019 UNFPA estimated that 3 million women and girls were 982 Confidential Sources on File. Confidential Sources on File. 984 Confidential Sources on File. 985 Confidential Sources on File. 986 Confidential Sources on File. 987 Confidential Sources on File. 988 Confidential Sources on File. Hussein 2011. 989 Confidential Sources on File. Oxfam-CARE-GenCap 2016. United Nations Inter-agency Network on Violence Against Women, “Country Assessment on Yemen”, 2010. 990 Confidential Sources on File. Heinze and Stevens 2018. Oxfam-CARE-GenCap 2016. 991 UNFPA, Gender-Based Violence Information Management System, 2018. 983 153