Top row (L-R): Alex Crawford, Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, Bianca Jagger, Ted Meron, Dr Ewelina Ochab
Bottom row (L-R): Zahra Joya, Archbishop Angaelos, Rebecca Hawkins
Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) remains one of the gravest crimes committed during armed conflict, yet impunity continues to be the norm despite significant developments in international criminal law, speakers warned at a United Kingdom parliamentary event hosted by the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the Coalition for Genocide Response .
CRSV includes rape, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy, forced marriage, forced sterilisation and other forms of sexual and/or reproductive violence committed during, or in connection with, armed conflict and situations of atrocity crimes. It strips individuals of their autonomy and dignity, causing a litany of challenges to the physical and mental health of victims/survivors that often last a lifetime. Increasingly recognised as a tactic of war, rather than the spoils of war, it has been prosecuted as a war crime, a crime against humanity and, in some circumstances, an act of genocide.
According to the United Nations, almost 10,000 UN-verified cases of CRSV were recorded around the world in 2025 - a dramatic increase on the previous year and widely understood to represent only a fraction of the true scale of abuse because of widespread under-reporting due to stigma, ongoing war or atrocities, lack of avenues to justice or trust in the processes. Women and girls continue to be the primary victims/survivors of this sexual and/or reproductive violence, accounting for approximately 95 per cent of verified victims/survivors, although men and boys are also targeted in some conflicts, as seen in the case of Russia's crimes against Ukraine , where CRSV can be used as a weapon of war largely against men.
Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws LT KC, IBAHRI Director and Chair of the session, commented: 'Around the globe we see sexual violence used as a tactic of war, as part of crimes against humanity and even genocide. We have seen reports of systematic use of sexual violence against prisoners of war and political prisoners in Ukraine and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; cases of gang rape and sexual slavery in Sudan; and criminal groups in Haiti subjecting women and girls to horrific acts of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, these examples only represent the tip of the iceberg. Sexual violence in conflicts devastates the lives of individuals and communities, instilling fear, degradation, humiliation and stigma, with often a scarcity of support, healthcare and effective justice systems.'
Dr Ewelina Ochab, IBAHRI Senior Programme Lawyer, stressed that greater accountability is urgently needed, including through reforms to UK law. She said: 'Despite important progress in criminalising CRSV, impunity continues to be the norm, while justice and accountability remain the exception, accessible to only a few. Too often, the perpetrators escape responsibility, leaving victims/survivors without hope that they will see justice during their lifetimes. This impunity only begets further crimes. Addressing impunity is not solely the responsibility of international courts or tribunals. British courts also have an important role to play. However, the current UK legislative framework limits their ability to prosecute certain international crimes. This is why we continue to advocate for reforms to the UK's law on universal jurisdiction and also support Lord Alton's Genocide Determination Bill, which would enable UK courts to determine whether genocide has occurred or there is a serious risk of genocide, providing victims/survivors with an important avenue towards justice.'
The IBAHRI, with several partners, continues to advocate for reform of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 , to remove the requirement that alleged perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must be British citizens or UK residents before they can be prosecuted in UK courts under certain provisions. The IBAHRI is also supporting the Private Member's Bill of Lord Alton - the Genocide Determination Bill - which seeks to strengthen the UK's response to allegations of genocide. The Bill has its second reading on 17 July.
The UK parliamentary event brought together leading experts from law, journalism, civil society and the arts to discuss the issue of CRSV as experienced by religious and ethnic minority women and girls globally:
Judge Theodor Meron CMG, former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia , and a leading scholar of international humanitarian law, human rights and international criminal law, reflected on the development of international criminal law that enabled the first prosecutions of CRSV as international crimes, including as acts of genocide.
Alex Crawford OBE, Sky News Special Correspondent, delivered messages from two Yazidi survivors of the genocide perpetrated by Daesh (also known as ISIS) against the Yazidi community in Iraq from 2014 onwards. This atrocity has since been recognised by numerous governments and international bodies as a genocide as thousands of Yazidi women and girls were abducted, enslaved and subjected to systematic rape and other forms of sexual violence by Daesh during the campaign. Crawford also mentioned her documentary , which looks at the years since Daesh committed genocide against the Yazidis and the impunity that followed.
Zahra Joya, Afghan journalist and founder and Editor-in-Chief of Rukhshana Media, highlighted the continuing persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan, including the particular targeting of the Hazara women and girls under Taliban rule.
Artist Rebecca Hawkins discussed her work collaborating with victims/survivors of international crimes and how she uses art to communicate their experiences to wider audiences and encourage public engagement with issues of justice and accountability.
The parliamentary event was held on 6 July 2026 to mark the period between two important UN days: the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (19 June) and the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief (22 August) . The event also provided an opportunity to launch Dr Ochab's new book, Global Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: Genocide, Impunity and Justice , which examines the development of international law on conflict-related sexual violence and the continuing barriers to justice faced by victims/survivors.
