On the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (19 June), the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) urges pertinent parties worldwide to participate in renewed and meaningful cooperation on the topic of sexual violence in war; urgently address the escalating instances of this violence; provide support to all victims/survivors; and to hold perpetrators to account.
The IBAHRI also calls for the fulfilment of existing obligations and for the continuation of discussions around their development.
Frequently employed to further political, economic and territorial objectives, perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence purposefully demean and distress their targets, inflicting long-term physical and psychological injuries in the process. Although reports have noticeably increased in recent years, this is by no means a new phenomenon, having played a decisive role during the hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the actions of Boko Haram and in the Daesh genocide against the Yazidis.
Women and girls bear the brunt of the effects of conflict, and this all too often takes the form of sexual violence. Under international humanitarian law they should be protected, but it is clear they are being failed. The social stigma, the corollary of sexual violence, prevents many victims of conflict-related sexual violence from seeking medical and psychological assistance and creates challenges for reassimilating into society. It is imperative that their needs be defined and addressed in a comprehensive and concrete way to facilitate their reintegration into society, and their personal recoveries.
Rape and other forms of sexual violence are prohibited under customary international law. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court recognises rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilisation or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Additionally, the Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol I require protection for women and children against rape, enforced prostitution or any other form of indecent assault. Despite such international legal protection, sexual violence has become a common feature of contemporary conflicts, as demonstrated by the UN Secretary General's (UNSG) report on conflict-related sexual violence , which found that, amidst a myriad of other sexually violent acts, both state and non-state entities have targeted civilians with rape and sexual slavery, forced pregnancies and forced abortions.
Data from the UN highlights that women and girls are substantially more likely than men and boys to be targeted by perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence , accounting for more than 95 per cent of 3,622 UN-verified cases reported. Also, in 1,186 cases of sexual violence, the victims were children, with girls accounting for 1,157 (98 per cent) of the victims.
Furthermore, according to the UN Women report Facts and figures: Women, peace, and security , the likelihood that a girl will be subjected to forced marriage rises by 14 per cent if she lives in a conflict zone. This puts girls at a greater risk of sexual violence.
The IBAHRI also voices concern regarding lack of access to essential services and the resulting increase in maternal mortality rates during wartime. Figures from the World Health Organization in April 2025 show that the maternal mortality ratio is significantly higher in areas affected by conflict (504 deaths per 100,000 live births) compared to non-conflict zones (99 deaths per 100,000 live births).
Mark Stephens CBE, IBAHRI Co-Chair, stated: 'The IBAHRI calls on the international community to respect the principles and obligations contained in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women (CEDAW) to "refrain from engaging in any act or practice of discriminations against women" and to provide appropriate, and where necessary, free services with regard to pregnancy, confinement, and the post-natal period. The IBAHRI stresses the urgent need to restore access to these services.'
Additionally, the IBAHRI highlights a significant number of boys and men facing sexual violence in conflict. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it is reported that Russian soldiers have employed sexual violence as a tactic to torture prisoners of war. In March 2023, the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine exposed documented instances of violence including rape, attempted rape, beatings, electric shocks and other attacks on genital organs.
Moreover, a recent UN Human Rights Council report into Israel's systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since 7 October 2023 found that men and boys were also routinely subjected to similar sexual abuse.
In recent times, some perpetrators have been successfully prosecuted. Following the successful deployment of roster experts from the non-governmental organisation Justice Rapid Response , a Ugandan National court successfully convicted Thomas Kwoyelo. A former commander of the Lord's Resistance Army, he was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, in 2024 and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
However, the 15-year delay between the arrest of Mr Kwoyelo and the verdict raises questions on how to address complex victim-perpetrator dynamics, how to establish a link between alleged perpetrator and crimes committed, and how to build effective justice infrastructure nationally and internationally.
Hina Jilani, IBAHRI Co-Chair observed, 'Even with a drawn-out legal process, there is still a significant discrepancy between the number of reports of sexual violence during conflicts and the number of convictions secured. These crimes, which are increasingly prevalent on a global scale, must not go unpunished and cannot continue. It is obvious that both domestic and international attempts to address the issue must continue considering the numerous and alarming allegations of sexual violence.'
Presently, the UNSG's report addresses at least 16 conflicts worldwide including the Central African Republic, Colombia, the DRC, Iraq, Israel and Palestine, South Sudan and Sudan.
