All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity

“Until the Violence Stops: how Canada can help end the use of sexual violence as a weapon in war”

The use of rape and sexual violence in conflict is becoming pervasive in contemporary conflicts.  Although there are growing instances of male victimization, the use of sexual violence, including rape, abduction and sexual slavery disproportionately affect women and girls.  It is estimated that approximately 500,000 female survivors of the Rwandan Genocide were raped.  Currently, the ongoing conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in Darfur, Sudan are the scenes of systematic sexual violence employed as a weapon of war by all belligerent factions.

The overrepresentation of women and children among displaced populations heightens their vulnerability to sexual attacks by marauding armed groups as women venture out of refugee or displacement camps in search of food or firewood.  Increasingly, women’s bodies have become the battlegrounds on which rebel militia, government troops and civilian and police personnel inscribe unimaginable acts of violence.

Despite the prevailing culture of impunity, the use of rape and sexual violence in conflict constitutes grave violations of human rights, as well as, international humanitarian law. These crimes are accompanied by devastating physical, psychological, and socio-economic ramifications.   The stigma, discrimination and exclusion that continue to haunt victims of sexual violence have far-reaching social effects, including the erosion of family and community fabrics.

Silence and indifference have characterized the global response to this phenomenon for too long.  Nevertheless, some signs of progress have emerged with the adoption of Resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) by the UN Security Council.

It is imperative that the international community demonstrates bold leadership and political will to ensure prevention, protection and care for the thousands living under the constant threat of sexual violence and its effects.  The use of sexual violence in the ongoing wars in Darfur, Sudan and the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo remind us that the fight against genocide and crimes against humanity remains an all-encompassing political issue and an ever-pressing necessity today. The continued and intensified perpetration of these crimes illustrates that this fight is long from being over and merits serious attention.