Long After The Guns Fall Silent, Conflict-related Sexual Violence Leaves Lasting Scars
19 June 2025
In 2024 alone, the UN verified around 4,500 cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), though the real number is likely much higher. An overwhelming 93 per cent of survivors were women and girls.
Under international law, CRSV is recognised as a war crime, a crime against humanity, and an act that can constitute genocide. Its long-lasting impact undermines efforts to build lasting peace.
On Thursday, the UN marked the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlighting the enduring and intergenerational effects of this brutal tactic.
Tactic of war
In many conflicts, sexual violence is deliberately used to terrorise, punish and humiliate civilians.
' It is used to terrorise, to punish, but also to humiliate civilians, especially women and girls, ' said Esméralda Alabre, coordinator of the UN reproductive health agency's (UNFPA) response to gender-based violence in Sudan, speaking to UN News.
But the harm does not stop with the survivors. CRSV is often used to tear apart communities and undermine social cohesion. It fragments families, spreads fear and deepens societal divisions.
In Haiti, gangs have forced family members to rape their own mothers and wives, according to Pascale Solages, founder of a feminist organization in the country.
Women's bodies are being turned into battlegrounds. Perpetrators aim to destroy community bonds, using rape as a tool of domination and control. Survivors are left to carry the burden of trauma, stigma and isolation, she told UN News.
Generational trauma
Many survivors are silenced by fears of reprisal and retaliation: 'to break the cycle, we must confront horrors of the past,' said UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in a statement marking the day.
Trauma is not only immediate, but also creates deep and lasting intergenerational wounds, as the cycle of violence often impacts multiple generations.
Shunned from their communities, many survivors are forced to raise children born out of rape, on their own. ' It's almost like their cries are being ignored by the world,' said Ms. Alabre.
Survivors of CRSV and their children, often excluded from education, employment, and other essential aspects of life, are pushed into poverty – further deepening their vulnerability.
' For too many women and children, war is not over when it's over,' said the UN Special Representative who advocates for all those who experience sexual violence in conflict settings, Pramila Patten.
Need for accountability
Survivors not only have the right to safety and support, but also to justice and redress. Yet, ' too often, perpetrators walk free, cloaked in impunity while survivors often bear the impossible burden of stigma and shame,' said Mr. Guterres.
The limited availability of support services, especially following recent aid cuts, stands in the way of survivors' healing: not only is it becoming harder for survivors to hold their attackers accountable, prevention efforts are being stymied by funding cuts in many capitals since the start of the year.
'What happened to me could have been prevented,' survivors have told Ms. Patten time and time again.
Yet, in March alone, UNFPA's Sudan office had to close 40 women and girls safe spaces, impeding efforts to provide both immediate and long-term care to survivors.
Community-based interventions, child-friendly support for child survivors' education, and legislative policy changes play a crucial role in preventing CRSV.
' If we undermine investment in women's recovery, we undermine investment in conflict recovery, and we all inherit a less safe world,' said Ms. Patten.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Statement By Radhouane Nouicer On The International Day For The Elimination Of Sexual Violence In Conflict
Geneva, 19 June 2025 As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, sexual violence continues to leave lasting scars on individuals, families and entire communities across Sudan. With the war in Sudan now in its third year, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) remains rampant. I am deeply alarmed by the continued failure of warring parties to prevent such violence. As of 31 May 2025, UN Human Rights had documented 368 incidents of CRSV in Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict, involving at least 521 victims. More than half of these cases involved rape, including gang rape, often targeting internally displaced women and girls, and often marked by ethnic hatred. Over 70 per cent of documented incidents were attributed to the Rapid Support Forces. Yet this figure only reflects a small fraction of the real picture, compared with the hundreds of incidents that remain unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and the collapse of medical and legal systems in certain areas. Testimonies of survivors of sexual violence highlight shocking brutality, and pervasive patterns of such horrific acts. UN Human Rights has documented accounts of rape committed in front of family members, abductions and subsequent sexual violence, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and assaults on woman activists including those documenting CRSV. Sexual violence often occurred alongside other grave violations and abuses, including killing, torture and arbitrary detention. As the conflict has continued to intensify in 2025, there have been increased reports of the use of sexual violence, including on the basis of ethnic origin, as a tool of fear, reprisal, and intimidation by both parties to the conflict and their affiliated militias and groups. Women and girls do not start wars, yet they continue to bear the brunt of their consequences. CRSV is both a grave human rights emergency and a humanitarian crisis, with enduring harm that extends to families, children born of rape, and entire generations, while perpetrators remain largely unpunished. I strongly condemn the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan. The prevalence of sexual violence inflicts devastating and long-lasting harm on survivors' physical, reproductive, and mental health, while tearing apart the social fabric of entire communities. Women, girls, men and boys need to be protected from sexual violence, and their safety and security must be ensured. Perpetrators must be held accountable, and justice mechanisms, both national and international, must be mobilized to end impunity for these heinous crimes. I call on all parties and the international community to act immediately, to hold perpetrators accountable regardless of their affiliation, to ensure that survivors receive medical care, and to protect future generations from such horrors. No matter how long it may take, justice must not be denied, for this generation, and the next generation.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Long After The Guns Fall Silent, Conflict-related Sexual Violence Leaves Lasting Scars
19 June 2025 In 2024 alone, the UN verified around 4,500 cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), though the real number is likely much higher. An overwhelming 93 per cent of survivors were women and girls. Under international law, CRSV is recognised as a war crime, a crime against humanity, and an act that can constitute genocide. Its long-lasting impact undermines efforts to build lasting peace. On Thursday, the UN marked the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlighting the enduring and intergenerational effects of this brutal tactic. Tactic of war In many conflicts, sexual violence is deliberately used to terrorise, punish and humiliate civilians. ' It is used to terrorise, to punish, but also to humiliate civilians, especially women and girls, ' said Esméralda Alabre, coordinator of the UN reproductive health agency's (UNFPA) response to gender-based violence in Sudan, speaking to UN News. But the harm does not stop with the survivors. CRSV is often used to tear apart communities and undermine social cohesion. It fragments families, spreads fear and deepens societal divisions. In Haiti, gangs have forced family members to rape their own mothers and wives, according to Pascale Solages, founder of a feminist organization in the country. Women's bodies are being turned into battlegrounds. Perpetrators aim to destroy community bonds, using rape as a tool of domination and control. Survivors are left to carry the burden of trauma, stigma and isolation, she told UN News. Generational trauma Many survivors are silenced by fears of reprisal and retaliation: 'to break the cycle, we must confront horrors of the past,' said UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in a statement marking the day. Trauma is not only immediate, but also creates deep and lasting intergenerational wounds, as the cycle of violence often impacts multiple generations. Shunned from their communities, many survivors are forced to raise children born out of rape, on their own. ' It's almost like their cries are being ignored by the world,' said Ms. Alabre. Survivors of CRSV and their children, often excluded from education, employment, and other essential aspects of life, are pushed into poverty – further deepening their vulnerability. ' For too many women and children, war is not over when it's over,' said the UN Special Representative who advocates for all those who experience sexual violence in conflict settings, Pramila Patten. Need for accountability Survivors not only have the right to safety and support, but also to justice and redress. Yet, ' too often, perpetrators walk free, cloaked in impunity while survivors often bear the impossible burden of stigma and shame,' said Mr. Guterres. The limited availability of support services, especially following recent aid cuts, stands in the way of survivors' healing: not only is it becoming harder for survivors to hold their attackers accountable, prevention efforts are being stymied by funding cuts in many capitals since the start of the year. 'What happened to me could have been prevented,' survivors have told Ms. Patten time and time again. Yet, in March alone, UNFPA's Sudan office had to close 40 women and girls safe spaces, impeding efforts to provide both immediate and long-term care to survivors. Community-based interventions, child-friendly support for child survivors' education, and legislative policy changes play a crucial role in preventing CRSV. ' If we undermine investment in women's recovery, we undermine investment in conflict recovery, and we all inherit a less safe world,' said Ms. Patten.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
DR Congo Crisis: Aid Teams Appeal For Support To Help Displaced Communities Left With Nothing
13 June 2025 Since the beginning of the year, Rwanda-backed M23 fighters have swept across eastern DRC, taking key cities including Goma and Bukavu. The violence has displaced more than one million people in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Speaking from the village of Sake in North Kivu, UNDP Resident Representative Damien Mama described meeting a woman whose house had been destroyed after she fled the advancing fighters in January. Cut off from livelihoods 'You know, with five children, you can imagine what this represents,' Mr. Mama said. 'She was telling me that [her family] were given food and temporary shelter; but what she needs is to go back to her farm to continue farming, to continue her activities, and also have her home rebuilt.' All those newly displaced by the M23 rebel advance are in addition to the five million people already living in displacement camps in eastern DRC. Health workers have repeatedly warned that the crowded and unsanitary conditions provide ideal conditions for the spread of diseases including mpox, cholera and measles. Given the scale of need it is urgent that small businesses get the help they need to get up and running again 'providing income-generating activities for the women and the youth creating jobs', the UNDP official insisted. 'The economy has suffered a lot,' he explained. ' The banks have closed, businesses have been destroyed, and many are now operating under 30 per cent of their capacity, which is a major blow to their businesses.' Support for women and girls At the same time, the UN agency remains committed to helping the many women and girls impacted by alarming levels of sexual violence. This echoes an alert issued last month by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), that during the most intense phase of this year's conflict, a child was raped every half an hour. In the next five months, UNDP intends to support the creation of 1,000 jobs and restore basic infrastructure, benefiting about 15,000 people. To do this, the UN agency will need $25 million. 'We have so far secured $14 million thanks to [South] Korea, Canada, UK as well as Sweden; and our call will be to encourage other countries and donors to provide us with [the] $11 million gap.'
