Abstract
This paper examines International and regional instrument available for the protection and prohibition of Sexual and gender-based violence within the International community. The paper argues that though there are a lot of conventions and resolutions adopted by the International community through operations of the United Nations on issues of sexual and gender crimes, but that the adopted legal instruments ranging from the Geneva Convention to the latter resolutions by the United Nations
General Assembly all tends to pay concentrated attention to violence against women and girls. The paper stresses that of all the instruments of protection available both at the international and regional levels none of them specifically paid attention to men or boys as likely victims of sexual and gender based violence especially during armed conflicts. The paper further captures some major negative effects of excluding men as entities that requires protection by available instruments both regional and
international. The paper therefore concluded by calling on the International Community particularly the United Nations to deliberately use gender specific language in including men and boy into legal instruments of protection as potential victims of sexual and gender violence.
Keywords: Sexual, International, Regional, Violence, Geneva, Conventions