Citation

Mukwege D, Conry JA. Int. J. Gynaecol. Obstet. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1002/ijgo.14963

PMID

37332138

Abstract

This article calls on health professionals to speak out and join the campaign to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

As health professionals who confront the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), our responsibility must go beyond repairing the consequences of these heinous crimes on the bodies of women and girls. Therefore, we are calling for bold and new thinking to finally put an end to the wholly unacceptable use of sexual violence as a "weapon of war."

Our plea is born out of a deep frustration with the decades-long failure of the international community to realize its commitments to put an end to the use of CRSV and the continued horrific devastation and damage that CRSV causes to survivors and society as a whole.

The importance of addressing this issue comprehensively cannot be overstated. CRSV destroys family ties, communities, and social norms, and inflicts harm over generations--for example, through the transmission of HIV, the rejection of children born of rape, and collective psychological trauma.1-3 In some conflicts, 90% of the rapes are gang rapes, often in public or in front of family members, and the use of objects or weapons to rape is routine, resulting in injuries that are rarely seen outside the context of conflict...

Language: en

Keywords

prevention; gender; women; conflict-related sexual violence; justice and accountability; survivor-centered approach