A/HRC/56/CRP.8 contribute to survivors’ reluctance to report their experiences, including a sense of shame and fear of stigma related to the expectation of women’s abstinence before marriage. This has led some survivors to socially isolate and some families to withdraw their daughters from school and restrict their activities outdoors. A local analyst described the importance of ending impunity for sexual and gender-based violence: We are talking about an end to impunity. It’s not enjoyed only by the Burma military, it is widespread, it is enjoyed by all the people in power including ethnic resistance organizations and people's defense forces. We can end it by systematically prosecuting the perpetrators. If we want to end sexual and gender-based violence, we need to have a proper system of making them accountable for their actions. Otherwise, it will not end, it will continue to happen. It’s about deterring…if you did this, you will be punished. Right now, the message is, if you did this, you will most likely not be punished. So, what will prevent perpetrators from committing this crime over again? What will protect civilians if there is no system of accountability? E. Dwindling services and support for survivors 92. There is a complete absence of formal assistance for survivors of sexual and genderbased violence following the coup, and international programs are severely constrained by lack of access and resources. Civil society groups have courageously stepped forward to support survivors with nowhere else to turn. Networks of local women’s and LGBT organizations have supported survivors and their families with financial aid, legal support, nutrition assistance, and other basic needs and have provided access to safehouses, psychological counseling, and medical treatments, both before and after the coup. 93. However, amid rising demand for services, civil society groups have reported decreasing capacity due to a host of challenges, including military scrutiny and surveillance, funding shortfalls, and the displacement of survivors and service providers themselves. 94. Telecommunications and internet restrictions have reduced the ability of organizations to spread awareness about gender-based violence, provide protection services, and follow up with survivors. Conflict and the collapse of the public health system make it difficult for survivors to access clinical care and specialized services for gender-based violence. In conflict areas, safehouses must relocate frequently to ensure the safety of survivors. Many safehouses permanently closed due to displacement and fighting. Hotlines face major logistical challenges and are often inaccessible to survivors in rural areas due to limited connectivity. Women’s rights organizations increasingly rely on local focal points or contacts to provide services as they struggle to overcome transportation restrictions. The SAC’s implementation of a new Organization Registration Law in 2022 further strained the ability of civil society organizations to assist survivors. 95. Local human rights groups that have documented sexual violence cases in conflict settings experience a high risk of retribution from armed actors. Their ability to carry out documentation is further hindered by checkpoints managed by the military, ethnic resistance organizations, and other armed actors. To mitigate risk, they may delete data from their devices and cannot carry evidence. Human rights advocates documenting cases report feeling helplessness and guilt as their efforts to record cases often cannot guarantee justice or protection for survivors. Some groups that document gender-based violence cases in resistance areas report that they have been suspected of being informants for the military. Despite the challenging environment and dwindling resources, these groups have shown a remarkable ability to continue their work and advocate on behalf of victims and survivors. 24