The Shocking Consequences of Systematic Rape as a Weapon of War

Rape is a horrific crime that violates the dignity and rights of the victims. But when rape is used as a weapon of war, it becomes even more atrocious and devastating. Systematic rape as a weapon of war is the action of a group that carries out mass rape and gang rapes against its enemy during wartime as part of a genocidal campaign. It is not just a by-product of war, but a deliberate military strategy to terrorize, humiliate, control, and destroy the opposing community.

Systematic rape as a weapon of war has been documented in more than 20 military and paramilitary conflicts in the past century. Some of the most notorious examples are the sexual enslavement of women in territories conquered by the Japanese army during World War II, the mass rape of women during the battle for Bangladeshi independence in 1971, the rape of women as a tool of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, and the rape of women as a means of genocide in Rwanda.

The consequences of systematic rape as a weapon of war are shocking and long-lasting. They include physical injuries, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, psychological trauma, social stigma, and economic hardship for the survivors and their families. Moreover, systematic rape as a weapon of war can have a profound impact on the social fabric and the identity of the affected communities, as it disrupts the bonds of kinship, marriage, and parenthood, and creates divisions and mistrust among different groups.

The international community has recognized rape as a weapon of war as a war crime, a crime against humanity, and a constitutive act of genocide, and has established legal mechanisms to prosecute and punish the perpetrators. However, the challenges of implementing justice and providing support for the victims remain immense. Many cases of rape as a weapon of war go unreported, unpunished, and unrecognized, and many survivors face barriers to access health care, legal aid, and social services.

As a global community, we have a moral and legal obligation to prevent and condemn rape as a weapon of war, and to protect and assist the victims. We need to raise awareness and mobilize action to end this heinous practice, and to ensure accountability and reparations for the survivors. We need to stand in solidarity with the women and girls who have endured unimaginable suffering, and to recognize their resilience and courage. We need to say loud and clear: rape is not a weapon of war, it is a crime against humanity.