Sexual violence in war: dark reality for women worldwide!

Sexual violence in war: dark reality for women worldwide!

Sudan, Sudan - sexual violence is increasingly being used as a systematic war weapon that has devastating effects on women, girls and social fabrics in conflict regions. Historically, sexual violence, like rape since 2008, has been officially recognized as a war crime, but the duty of accountability of the perpetrators often fails to materialize. This is due to inadequate evidence as well as a lack of witness protection and the fear of stigmatization. According to Kleinezeitung.at , the phenomenon is not only strong in war areas, but also in post-war regions, where the cases of domestic violence are increasing.

Women's rights organizations such as Amica reports of frightening conditions for women and girls in crisis areas, while the number of documented cases of sexual violence has increased by 50 % in 2023. In conflict regions such as the Sudan, Gaza, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda, sexual violence is not only used, but is also used to spread fear and humiliation, such as Ilmr.de explained.

Current conflicts and documentation

In Sudan, a civil war has been raging between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since 2023. These are accused of practicing systematic sexual violence against women and girls. Between April 2023 and October 2024, Amnesty International documented several cases that range from the rape of a 15-year-old girl to the sexual enslavement of a woman that was held for over 30 days. Resistance to such attacks often led to brutal blows, torture or even death, as the reports show.

The situation in Gaza is also alarming. After the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, eyewitnesses of brutal sexual abuse of women reported, both during attack and captivity. The cruel deeds meant that many women were murdered after the rapes. This is underpinned by reports on mutilated corpses that indicate mass use of sexualized violence.

systematic violence in history

In Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 1992-1995 conflict, over 100 rape warehouses were built, in which an estimated between 20,000 and 50,000 Bosniacs were raped. Many women were forced to carry out pregnancies caused by rape. Another terrible example is the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which between 250,000 and 500,000 women were raped, often by men who were deliberately infected with HIV to damage the survivors. These patterns show that sexual violence in conflicts is used not only as a by -product, but as a strategic tool to manipulate and destabilize power.

In Ukraine, there are also increasing reports of sexual violence, especially since the beginning of the war with Russia. The vast majority of the victims are women and girls who often do not receive support from patriarchal structures and stigmatization.

The role of the international community

The increasing sexual violence in conflicts illustrates the need for an effective international answer and the protection of human rights. Although the Roman statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recognizes such crimes, implementation often remains weak. National courts and truth and reconciliation commissions are often not possible to legally pursue the perpetrators. unkomen.at emphasizes that many victims continue to suffer from extreme stigmatization, which makes it difficult to work out and recovery.

International organizations such as UN Women offer support for women in crisis areas. They work to offer survivors of sexual violence legal and social aid that are urgently needed to rehabilitate the life of those affected and to enable them to return to social life.

The fight against sexualized violence as a war weapon requires coherent action by the international community as well as a stronger awareness and protective measures for the most endangered groups in the conflict regions.