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\u003ch5\u003eHow widespread is sexual violence in conflict? \u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe know that conflict-related sexual violence is widespread, but we lack the basic, reliable data to determine specific trends. Underreporting is the main challenge in these situations. For example, a 2017 United Nations report on the issue could only draw on credible information from \u003ca href=\u0022http://www.un.org/en/events/elimination-of-sexual-violence-in-conflict/pdf/1494280398.pdf\u0022\u003e19 countries\u003c/a\u003e – even though the IISS Armed Conflict Database shows there were more than 30 active conflicts last year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe do know that wartime rape, one of the main forms of conflict-related sexual violence, is neither ubiquitous nor inevitable. Importantly, \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/resources/SR323.pdf\u0022\u003erecent research\u003c/a\u003e reveals huge variation in how often it happens across conflicts and between different parties to the same conflicts. During the civil war in El Salvador, for example, state forces perpetrated sexual violence often, but their opponents the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front did so rarely. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSexual violence is not specific to certain geographical locations. Wartime rape was widespread in the former Yugoslavia, as well as in Sierra Leone and East Timor. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eIs it used as a strategic weapon by armies and armed groups?\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes, but not necessarily. The wars in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the 1990s awakened the international community to the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. As a result, the 1998 \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.icc-cpi.int/nr/rdonlyres/ea9aeff7-5752-4f84-be94-0a655eb30e16/0/rome_statute_english.pdf\u0022\u003eRome Statute\u003c/a\u003e listed it among the war crimes (and crimes against humanity) to be prosecuted under universal jurisdiction, a norm codified by the UN Security Council in \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/CAC%20S%20RES%201820.pdf\u0022\u003e2008\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGroups use sexual violence as a tactic because they see it as effective in destroying lives, terrorising and controlling communities, and even changing their demographic compositions. To occur on a massive scale, however, wartime rape does not need to be ordered. More often, it is simply tolerated. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArmed groups allow it for various reasons, including creating cohesion among recruits and offering spoils and rewards to their fighters. Yet, the common wisdom that ‘given the opportunity, men will rape’ is false. Some armed groups can and do prohibit sexual violence. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDemonstrating that sexual violence has been used systematically is most important in international post-war criminal prosecutions, which have a high standard of proof for the offence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eWhat are the long-term effects, on individuals and societies?\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong-lasting consequences include physical injury, mental trauma and social stigma. Unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and social exclusion are the most common results of wartime rape.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe victims of sexual violence are more likely to be civilians than soldiers, but men and women have been reported as victims in different \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/\u0022\u003econflicts\u003c/a\u003e. Currently, sexual violence is used against Rohingya women in Myanmar but also against men and boys in the Central African Republic. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe human and financial cost of recovering from sexual violence is enormous, for the individual victims, their families and their communities. Children conceived as a result of rape, for example, experience negative social pressure and are more likely to be malnourished and miss out on education. Female victims of rape are often ostracised, and given the social taboos surrounding sexual violence, men are not likely to report being victimised and thus forgo treatment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eWhy is the work of Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege so important?\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nobel laureates help and advocate for victims of sexual violence in wartime. Supporting victims and raising awareness are key to stopping these crimes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReporting is key to preventing impunity and repetition. It helps victims overcome trauma and empowers them, increasing their wellbeing and that of their families and communities. Since rape is a social taboo in most places, reporting increases after human-rights organisations begin to actively document cases of conflict-related sexual violence, as they did in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Dr Mukwege works. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMedical care is crucial in conflict situations, where rape victims at risk of death often face collapsed or failing healthcare systems.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eWhat practical policy measures can tackle the problem?\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\u0022http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/directorate/executive-director/ed-bio\u0022\u003eUN Women Executive Director\u003c/a\u003e Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has condemned the inadequate response to the widespread use of sexual violence in armed conflicts, and the lack of funding devoted to its prevention. That is worrying as besides supporting victims, the most effective policy tools in this area focus on promoting preventive measures and fighting impunity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/our-work/team-of-experts/\u0022\u003eUN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict\u003c/a\u003e helps governments strengthen criminal investigations, military justice, legislative reforms and the protection of victims and witnesses. For non-state armed groups, we should focus on making commanders who are in effective control of their troops legally liable for acts of sexual violence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead a free analysis of conflict-related sexual violence from the \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.iiss.org/publications/armed-conflict-survey/2017/armed-conflict-survey-2017/acs2017-03-essays-2\u0022\u003eIISS Armed Conflict Survey\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","className":"richtext reading--content font-secondary"}), document.getElementById("react_0L5jsq2qkUSkREheoiRp8w"))});
\u003cp\u003eThe 2018 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege, campaigners against rape in warfare. IISS Senior Fellow Francesca Grandi explains how sexual violence is used in modern conflict, its impact and how it can be prevented.\u003c/p\u003e
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