How prevalent is violence against women during armed conflict?
The U.N. released a document about warfare that described a very specific type of armed conflict that focuses on women and children. This systematic tactic dismantles oppositions and the forces of resistance in order to undermine and dismantle the fabric of society. Where has violence against women during armed conflict been the most pervasive? Widespread reports first arose during the 1990s in Kosovo. Most recently, we see atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Liberia, Sudan and Somalia. Many of these countries—specifically, Uganda and Burma—have been engaged in warfare for over two decades. In the last five to eight years, we’ve seen a shift in violence that targets women and children through rape, sexual torture and slavery. How does sexual violence weaken societies? The war in the Congo is the most pervasive example. Sexual violence has been widespread since the ceasefire in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. When rebel troops poured into the eastern C
