The aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 saw a dramatic increase in sexual violence and gave fresh impetus to long standing calls for rape law reform. International women's rights organisation MADRE requested this research to support the subsequent reform of rape legislation.
The report reviews rape legislation and procedures in Brazil, Canada, France, South Africa, Sweden and the United States and supplies concrete examples of laws and policies that implement women's human rights. It includes models for statutes, protocols for victim services, and guides to police and prosecutorial procedures which respect the experiences of victims and advance gender justice.
Morrison & Foerster led and coordinated this research, working with DLA Piper, Latham & Watkins and Reed Smith. Aside from the Haitian context, the research undertaken should be equally useful for the development of gender-based violence laws all over the world