The Silent Weapon of War
In recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict | 19 June
In the shadows of war, far beyond the bombs and battlefields, lies another battleground: intimate, brutal and often invisible. Here, the weapon is not artillery, but the human body. Sexual violence in conflict is not incidental. It is calculated. It is cruelly effective. And it is unconscionably underreported.
Rape is used not only to dominate individuals, but to annihilate identities, to fracture families, to dissolve community bonds. In the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “Sexual violence in conflict is a tactic of war, a tool of political repression and a crime against humanity.” Yet despite its devastating legacy, the world still struggles to name it, to claim it, to stop it.
A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
Sexual violence in conflict zones encompasses rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilisation and other forms of sexual abuse perpetrated against civilians or combatants. While it affects all genders, the majority of victims are women and girls, often targeted because of their ethnicity, political affiliation or mere presence in contested territories.
According to the UN Secretary-General’s 2023 report on conflict-related sexual violence, more than 3,293 verified cases were reported across 18 countries. This is a figure that represents only a fraction of the truth. The real number is exponentially higher. Survivors rarely come forward due to stigma, shame, fear of retaliation and a lack of access to justice.
A meta-analysis published in The Lancet in 2022 estimates that more than one in five women in conflict zones experience sexual violence, which is a staggering 20% of an already traumatised population.
The Anatomy of Weaponised Rape
Sexual violence is deployed strategically to humiliate, punish, terrorise and forcibly displace entire communities. In Bosnia, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Ethiopia, this pattern repeats with chilling consistency.
Dr. Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of the Panzi Hospital in the DRC, calls this violence what it is: “A strategy of war that breaks down not just the body, but the soul of a people.”
Rape is not about sex. It is about power. Control. Erasure.
The Psychological and Intergenerational Wound
Survivors often carry injuries that are not visible to the eye but deep, soul-level wounds that manifest as post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and lifelong health issues. Children born of rape endure stigma, rejection and identity crises, often becoming both the symbols and victims of war themselves.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that over 60% of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence develop complex PTSD, and many never receive care. Without intervention, the trauma seeps through generations, perpetuating cycles of violence, silence and despair.
Why Justice Still Fails
Despite the designation of sexual violence in conflict as a war crime under international law, impunity remains the norm. Prosecutions are rare. Victims are often required to relive their trauma repeatedly through legal processes that are slow, retraumatising and at times, dismissive.
Professor Patricia Sellers, international human rights lawyer and former legal advisor to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, puts it plainly:
“We’ve come a long way in recognising sexual violence as a war crime. But recognition without accountability is just another form of complicity.”
Seeds of Change: The Work Being Done
There is hope, thanks to the tireless work of survivors, activists, medical professionals, legal experts and humanitarian organisations. From trauma-informed care units in refugee camps to survivor-led truth commissions, a powerful resistance is growing that centres healing, dignity and justice.
The UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict continues to support states in investigating and prosecuting these crimes. NGOs such as Women for Women International, Justice Rapid Response, and The Mukwege Foundation are building vital lifelines for those affected, often at great personal risk.
What Can We Do?
We may not all be legislators, doctors or judges. But we are all accountable. Every voice, every action, every refusal to look away matters.
- Educate yourself and others – Raise awareness about the use of sexual violence in conflict. Break the silence. Share survivor stories with respect and sensitivity.
- Support survivor-led organisations – Contribute to NGOs that provide trauma care, legal support and advocacy.
- Demand justice – Pressure governments and international bodies to prioritise prosecution of perpetrators and reparations for survivors.
- Challenge stigma – Stand up against victim-blaming in every sphere within our homes, schools, media and policy.
- Create safe spaces – Whether in your community or online, make it known that survivors are not alone, not invisible and not to blame.
The Call of Our Time
As members of the Get Up and Grow community, we believe in post-traumatic growth, in healing through truth and in the power of collective action. We believe in standing with (not above) those whose voices have been suppressed by the weight of history and war.
Sexual violence in conflict is not inevitable. It is not cultural. It is not collateral. It is a crime and it must be named, challenged and ended. Not tomorrow, not eventually, but now.
Let us be louder than fear, braver than shame and stronger than silence.
Stand up. Speak out. Do not look away.
The survivors are not statistics. They are the soul of our shared humanity.
Join us at Get Up and Grow in taking a stand. Support survivor-led organisations and share this post widely. Together, we can dismantle the silence one voice, one truth, one action at a time.