Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: Global Overview and Implications for the Security Sector

Information about sexual violence perpetrated during armed conflict is scarce, scattered and selective. Policy makers, donors and humanitarian groups consistently call for better documentation of sexual violence in conflict. This report demonstrates the horrifying scope and magnitude of sexual violence in armed conflict. It brings to light sexual violence in the world’s underreported conflicts, as well as in those countries where it is notoriously commonplace, and highlights the shared and varying vulnerabilities of specific population groups within and between regions. The report also shows that sexual violence is not confined to African or European conflicts, or to conflicts in developing or developed nations, but is a global scourge. This report proposes various ways in which the security and justice sectors can improve or develop strategies to prevent and respond to sexual violence in armed conflict and postconflict situations.