Confronting Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations (pdf)
"This document is one of four sections to be published in the organization's upcoming handbook, 'Women Claiming Justice: Using International Law in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations'. The report outlines the various manifestations of sexual violence frequently exhibited in conflict zones, specifically highlighting rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Also provides a “Peace Builders Action Toolkit” with resources for activists working to create peace and justice. "
European Parliament Report on Female Genital Mutilation in the European Union (pdf)
"This new report found that over 500,000 women in Europe, especially refugees and immigrants, have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). The report highlights various reasons for the prevalence of FGM and incorporates different frameworks for addressing the problem, including the human rights perspective, a women’s rights view, and children’s rights."
Everything Left Behind: Internal Displacement in Colombia (pdf)
"According to a new report there are currently between 3 and 4 million internally displaced people in Colombia, among the highest in the world. Internal displacement disproportionately affects women who are indigenous, Afro-descendant, or peasant farmers. For displaced women and girls, sexual assault, exploitation, and abuse are constant threats from armed groups or people who believe the women and girls are involved with armed groups. Displaced women and girls face discrimination from the communities they move to, presenting a significant barrier to assistance for victims of violence."
Factors Associated With Women’s Risk of Rape in the Military Environment (pdf)
"This study assessed military environmental factors associated with rape occurring during military service, while controlling for pre-military trauma experiences. The goal of this exploratory study was to describe characteristics of rape victims and perpetrators and to attempt to identify workplace environmental factors associated with rape occurring during military service."
Family Violence in the Military: A Review of the Literature
"This literature review critically reviews studies that examine child maltreatment and spouse abuse among military families and compares family violence in military versus nonmilitary populations."
Five Years On: No Justice for Sexual Violence in Darfur
"Drawing on various data sources, this report covers: Sexual Violence in Darfur in 2007-08; Government's Response; International Response; and Sudan's Obligation to Prevent, Investigate and Punish Sexual Violence."
Gender Approaches in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations (pdf)
This manual aims to increase effectiveness of humanitarian and recovery interventions through integration of a gender perspective in conflict and post-conflict situations. It includes a chart to depict different levels of possible gender violence dimensions along the timeline of pre-conflict and post-conflict.
This report details 173 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence, involving 625 girls and women, committed by Burmese army troops in Shan State, mostly between 1996 and 2001. The report reveals that the Burmese military regime is allowing its troops systematically and on a widespread scale to commit rape with impunity in order to terrorize and subjugate the ethnic peoples of Shan State. The report illustrates there is a strong case that war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the form of sexual violence, have occurred and continue to occur in Shan State.
Lives Blown Apart: Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict
This report attempts to explore some of the underlying reasons for this violence. Evidence gathered by Amnesty International in recent years supports the view that conflict reinforces and exacerbates existing patterns of discrimination and violence against women.
Modern-Day Comfort Women: The U.S. Military, Transnational Crime, and the Trafficking of Women
"The U.S. military bases in South Korea were found to form a hub for the transnational trafficking of women from the Asia Pacific and Eurasia to South Korea and the United States. This study, conducted in 2002, examined three types of trafficking that were connected to U.S. military bases in South Korea: domestic trafficking of Korean women to clubs around the military bases in South Korea, transnational trafficking of women to clubs around military bases in South Korea, and transnational trafficking of women from South Korea to massage parlors in the United States."
This GAO report found that, among other things, the DOD has failed to provide adequate guidance on implementing sexual assault prevention and response programs, leaving many servicemembers at greater risk for assault.
Prosecuting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence at the International Criminal Court (pdf)
"The report assesses the effectiveness of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in reducing acts of sexual violence in armed conflict. The report explores whether the existence of the ICC acts as a deterrent for gender-based violence in conflict situations, and whether perpetrators of sexual violence can be brought to justice under provisions of the Rome Statute specifically addressing gender violence. The report also offers recommendations for improving the ICC’s ability to actually and symbolically reduce violence against women by characterizing gender-based violence in conflict situations as an international war crime."
Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)
"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."
Report Concerning the Assessment of USAF Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (pdf)
"Provides an assessment of the Air Force's capability to prevent and respond to sexual assault. This assessment was conducted in response to allegations made in January 2003 of sexual assault at the United States Air Force Academy."
Routinely Targeted: Attacks on Civilians in Somalia
"The report documents sexual violence and killing of Somali civilians by Ethiopian troops, militias, and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces."
Sexual Assault Among Male Veterans
"This article takes a look at the literature on male sexual assault as well as recent findings about sexual assault among male veterans. Treatment issues are also discussed."
"This briefing paper was prepared for the Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond, which took place in June 2006. It provides information on the nature and scope of the problem as well as evaluation of efforts to combat it."
Sexual Violence Public Policy Topics
"This area contains topic-specific resources related to public policy and systems advocacy. Current topics include: civil legal rights, clergy sexual abuse, DNA, drug-facilitated sexual assault, indigenous issues, marital rape, privacy & confidentiality, public health, sex offender, sexual harassment, sexual violence in military, prisons and on campus, and trafficking."
Sexual Violence Research Agenda
"The Sexual Violence Research Initiative recently published the Sexual Violence Research Agenda. The publication recognizes eight key focus areas for research: nature, prevalence, social context and risk factors associated with sexual violence; appropriateness and effectiveness of sexual violence services; sexual violence prevention; sexual violence and restorative justice; sexual violence in conflict and emergency settings; child sexual abuse; human trafficking for sexual exploitation; and female genital cutting."
"The long-standing civil conflict in the Shan States of Burma is investigated as a contributing cause to the trafficking of ethnic Shan women and girls into the Southeast Asian sex industry, and to the subsequent high rates of HIV infection found among these women. The context of chronic human rights abuses in the Shan states is explored, as well as the effects of recent forced population transfers on the part of the Burmese Military Regime."
So Much to Fear: War Crimes and the Devastation of Somalia (pdf)
A Human Rights Watch report on the human rights violations being committed in the ongoing conflict in Somalia. It studies the conflict since late 2006, when the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) came to the aid to Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to overthrow the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The report also includes several recommendations to the parties, as well as the African and European Unions, and the United Nations.
The Crushing Burden of Rape: Sexual Violence in Darfur
This report offers a glimpse into the ongoing violence against women in Darfur and includes statistics and short stories from survivors. It concludes by giving recommendations for stopping the rapes in Darfur and in the conflicts throughout the world.
The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls (pdf)
This report of a consultative meeting is intended to contribute to the United Nations study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls, requested by the United Nations Security Council. This report reflects the purpose of the meeting which was twofold: first, to examine and explore the impact of armed conflict on women and girls; and, second, to formulate strategies and tools to ensure that reproductive health programmes accurately reflect this population’s needs, specifically by addressing them through a comprehensive, gendersensitive approach.
The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)
"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."
The Right to Survive: Sexual Violence, Women and HIV/AIDS
This report describes the unparalleled situation experienced by women who were raped and infected with HIV/AIDS during the Rwandan genocide.
The War Within the War: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Eastern Congo
This report documents the frequent and sometimes systematic use of rape and other forms of sexual violence in the Rwandan-occupied areas of eastern Congo. This report focuses on crimes of sexual violence committed by soldiers and other combatants. But rape and other sexual crimes are not just carried out by armed factions but also increasingly by police and others in positions of authority and power, and by opportunistic common criminals and bandits, taking advantage of the prevailing climate of impunity and the culture of violence against women and girls.
Trapped by Inequality: Bhutanese Refugee Women in Nepal
Following investigations of sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers in refugee camps in West Africa, several cases of sexual exploitation involving refugee aid workers surfaced in Nepal in October 2002. This report highlights not only the hardship of life in refugee camps, but also the injustice of gender-based violence and discrimination for Bhutanese refugee women in Nepal.
Trauma Among Female Veterans: A Critical Review
"This article reviews the literature documenting the nature and prevalence of traumatic experiences, trauma-related mental and physical health problems, and service use among female veterans."
UNIFEM Facts & Figures on Violence Against Women
The United Nations Development Fund For Women provides statistics on many forms of violence women face including domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence, trafficking of women and girls, HIV/AIDS and violence, and more.
Update on global trends in trauma
This review updates the recent trends in trauma with emphasis on the causes and manifestations of trauma on a global scale.
War Related Sexual Violence in Sierra Leone (pdf)
This study is one of the first to scientifically document the extent of sexual violence as a result of war. This population based assessment of war-related sexual violence and other human rights abuses in Sierra Leone, indicate that combatants have committed widespread human rights abuses and international crimes against internally displaced persons in Sierra Leone.
We'll Kill You If You Cry: Sexual Violence in Sierra Leone Conflict
The report presents evidence of horrific abuses against women and girls in every region of Sierra Leone by the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF), as well as other rebel, government and international peacekeeping forces. The report is based on hundreds of interviews with victims, witnesses and officials, details crimes of sexual violence committed primarily by soldiers of various rebel forces —the RUF, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and the West Side Boys. The report also examines sexual violence by government forces and militias, as well as international peacekeepers.
Women in Mongolia: Mapping Progress under Transition
This publication tells of Mongolian women's experiences in the context of the political and economic transformation of their country. It shares reports of women encouraged to bear many children, inadequate health care or resources, and high rates of maternal mortality. Recommendations informed through case studies are presented for improving their social and economic status and increasing their political participation.
This report covers many areas of concern, from the gender dimensions of violence and displacement during conflict to the role of peacekeepers and the need for women to play a central part during peace negotiations and reconstruction. Key recommendations focus on finding ways to protect and empower women.