Stop violence against women in armed conflict
WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 16: Former 'comfort woman,' Jan Ruff O'Herne, 83, poses with a symbol of her struggle, a butterfly, after a news conference at the office of Amnesty International February 16, 2007 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Women and girls in armed conflict situations are at greatly increased risk of violence. This abuse is rooted in a global culture of discrimination – unequal power relations - that denies females equal status with males. This inequality plays itself out in a number of ways during conflict.
- Social, political and religious norms identify women and girls as the property of men and often as sexual objects.
- Violence directed at women is often considered an attack against the values or "honour" of a society and is therefore a particularly potent tool of war.
- Violence is often used as a weapon of war, to punish or dehumanize women and girls, and to persecute the community to which they belong.
Just as each conflict is different, the experiences of women and girls caught up in conflict vary. Race, ethnicity, economic status, sexual orientation and age all have an impact on the form of violence experienced. However, there are human rights violations that are common in most conflicts.
- Physical and psychological trauma, including rape and death
- Women are likely to form the greatest proportion of the adult civilian population killed in war and targeted for violence.
- Survivors of sexual violence may become pregnant and/or infected with sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. As a result they may be subject to threats, reprisal, social isolation or death.
- The impact of this violence may be worse for girls due to their age, physical, mental, social and emotional development.
- Women are likely to form the greatest proportion of the adult civilian population killed in war and targeted for violence.
- Forcible displacement
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that women and children comprise 70-80% of the world’s refugee and internally-displaced population. In flight, they are often violated by warring parties, civilians or even peacekeepers.
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that women and children comprise 70-80% of the world’s refugee and internally-displaced population. In flight, they are often violated by warring parties, civilians or even peacekeepers.
- Slavery/forced labour
- Armed groups may force women and girls into sexual slavery, forced labour, forced marriage or forced combat roles.
- Women’s safety and economic situation often deteriorate in times of conflict. Traffickers may offer lucrative jobs, but instead sell women into sexual slavery.
- Armed groups may force women and girls into sexual slavery, forced labour, forced marriage or forced combat roles.
- Economic hardship and lack of access to health services and education.
During armed conflicts and in post-conflict situations, is it very difficult for women, girls or their supporters to accurately and systematically document the violence they have experienced. Those who have the opportunity to report the violence may avoid reporting due to:
- Fear of reprisal
- Shame
- Severe social or economic repercussions
- Social stigma
A lack of information has an impact on a woman’s or girl’s access to support, and ultimately justice.
When the conflict has stopped or hostilities have decreased, women are rarely included in peace negotiations or in defining peacekeeping mandates. The violence may continue from parties to the conflict, United Nations or other government forces engaged in keeping the peace. As well, as the impact of the conflict is felt in families and communities, violence in the home or community may increase.
Amnesty International’s documentation and action work on violence in armed conflict situations exposes and challenges this abuse. It pressures states and other actors such as the United Nations, to follow international human rights standards to protect women and girls.
Amnesty is demanding that all states, other parties to armed conflict and the international community, including the United Nations, act without delay to:
- Condemn all acts of violence against women and girls.
- Provide women and girls who survive violence with immediate and effective assistance, including access to health care.
- Bring all those who commit violence to justice.
- Involve women fully in the peace building and reconstruction processes.
- Ensure that survivors of violence have access to safety and compensation, including rehabilitation.
- Stop the use of child soldiers and set up programs to demobilize, disarm and rehabilitate child soldiers, paying particular attention to the needs of girls.
Updated: 6 March 2008