When Conflict Becomes a Weapon: Understanding Wartime Gender-Based Violence

“Hello there! I’m here to provide you with a bit of information on how gender-based violence is used as a weapon in war. Experiencing abuse in any form is NOT OKAY, but what you are experiencing as a result of abuse is valid. What you, as a bystander, are going through while supporting a survivor is absolutely okay and typical too!  If you need additional resources or just someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to Imaara Foundation."

Written by: Vedha I.K

Why Does Gender-Based Violence Increase During War?

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has long been a disturbing element of armed conflict across the world. It is not a new phenomenon—it has persisted through centuries of war and conquest. During times of conflict, sexual violence is often deployed as a deliberate strategy to torment, control, and destabilize communities. It is not just random or impulsive violence, but often systemic, planned, and executed with impunity.

Military personnel are frequently the perpetrators of this violence, not only against members of rival communities but also within their own ranks. Reports from the U.S. military, the United Nations, NGOs, and national inquiries reveal how common this is. Those most affected include women, lower-ranking male soldiers, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

The roots of this violence lie in deeply entrenched systems. Military culture often associates masculinity with aggression, emotional suppression, and dominance. Combined with an environment where violence is normalized and accountability is scarce, SGBV becomes a horrifying yet common reality. Survivors—especially those with less power—often remain silent due to shame, stigma, fear of career repercussions, or the belief that justice is out of reach.

Governments frequently protect perpetrators to preserve national image, resulting in very few facing consequences. War exacerbates the vulnerabilities of already marginalized groups, making women and minorities especially at risk (Park, 2007).

What Do Survivors of Wartime GBV Experience?

Personal accounts of SGBV during war reveal the trauma, injustice, and enduring strength of survivors:

• In Kanyaruchinya, DRC, over 30,000 displaced people live in fragile conditions. Two women described being attacked while gathering firewood:“We walked a little further and saw a group of men who asked if we were alone. We tried to say we were with others. Several men left, but two stayed.”They were raped that night and later received assistance from a CARE-supported clinic (UN Women, 2012).

• During the Kosovo War (1998–1999), an estimated 20,000 women were raped. Gentiana, a survivor, shared:“I told my partner what had happened. He was a soldier. When I returned to the village, he saw my bruises, torn clothes, and said, ‘Be strong. You have me, I will never leave you.’ His support gave me strength.”

• In the Kunan-Poshpora mass rape case (1991, Jammu & Kashmir), 300–400 Indian soldiers reportedly attacked women across multiple homes in a single night. One survivor recalled:“I had my infant in my arms. The soldiers threw the baby aside, dragged my daughters away, and violated us all night.” (University of Chicago Press)

  
  

These stories represent only a fraction of the lived reality of wartime SGBV, yet they reveal both the brutality and the resilience of survivors.

What Theories Explain Wartime Sexual Violence?

There are two dominant narratives in academic and policy circles explaining why SGBV occurs during conflict: the "Sexed Theory" and the "Gendered Theory."

The Sexed Theory: A Flawed Perspective

Also known as the "biological urge" or "substitution theory," this view treats wartime sexual violence as a natural outlet for male sexual desires. It claims soldiers, deprived of consensual sexual encounters, resort to violence due to uncontrollable libido. It even frames rape as a recreational outlet.

This theory is dangerously flawed. It lacks scientific or empirical evidence, reduces survivors to objects, and excuses perpetrators. It is deeply rooted in misogyny, dismissing sexual violence as an inevitable consequence of male biology rather than a choice rooted in power and control.

The Gendered Theory: A More Accurate Lens

In contrast, the gendered theory recognizes SGBV as a weapon of war. It frames rape as a strategic act of domination meant to humiliate the enemy, break community cohesion, and assert power.

This perspective shows how societal constructs of masculinity and femininity—where men are expected to be dominant protectors and women, passive symbols of purity—fuel the use of sexual violence. Survivors are targeted to dishonor entire communities. Violence against women is a way to display the failure of enemy men to protect their people, while violence against men undermines their masculinity. (Baaz & Stern, 2013)

What Does History Teach Us About Wartime GBV?

Until the 1990s, wartime rape was seen as inevitable or even trivial. That began to change with global attention on atrocities in Bosnia, Croatia, and Rwanda:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1995): Between 20,000 and 50,000 women, mostly Bosniaks, were raped—many in rape camps—as part of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

• Croatian War (1991–1995): Croatian women were raped in detention and public settings to shame families and communities, particularly in Vukovar, Škabrnja, and Lovas. Male survivors existed but rarely reported their abuse due to stigma.

• Rwandan Genocide (1994): Over 100 days, an estimated 250,000–500,000 Tutsi women were raped by militia and soldiers. Rape was used as a weapon of ethnic cleansing. Survivors were mutilated, forced into sexual slavery, and intentionally infected with HIV.

These events catalyzed changes in international law and human rights, yet much remains to be done.

What Needs to Change?

A major driver of wartime SGBV is impunity. Legal systems must hold perpetrators accountable—without exception. Survivors deserve justice, dignity, and care.

Bosnia and Herzegovina offers an example: post-war reforms included a war crimes chamber to prosecute SGBV, healthcare and pensions for survivors, and recognition that survivor testimony alone is sufficient for legal proceedings.

Key steps toward meaningful change include:

• Strengthening Legal Accountability: Governments must enforce clear laws and prosecute all forms of wartime SGBV.

• Ensuring Survivor Support: Access to medical care, trauma-informed counselling, and long-term social support is essential.

• Challenging Harmful Social Norms: We must dismantle the stigma around rape by rejecting narratives that tie honor or purity to survivors.

• Training Professionals: Police, lawyers, and healthcare workers must be trained to respond with sensitivity and care.

• Responsible Media Representation: Survivors’ voices must be shared with empathy, and media coverage should combat—not reinforce—stigma.

• Building Public Awareness: Education on gender equality, bodily autonomy, and the realities of wartime violence is essential to shifting societal attitudes.

How Can We Move Toward Justice and Healing?

Wartime sexual violence is not an accident—it is a strategy of war, a crime against humanity, and a betrayal of basic human dignity. To end it, we must combine legal, social, and cultural change. We must center survivors’ voices, hold perpetrators accountable, and rebuild communities where healing is possible.

When survivors are heard, believed, and supported—not silenced—there is hope. When justice is pursued, not delayed, there is progress. And when society no longer tolerates the normalization of violence, there is the possibility of peace.

Want the references for this article?

Park, J. (2007). Sexual violence as a weapon of war in international humanitarian law. International Public Policy Review, 3(1), 13-18.

Baaz, M. E., & Stern, M. (2013). Sexual violence as a weapon of war?: Perceptions, prescriptions, problems in the Congo and beyond. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Crawford, K. F. (2017). Wartime sexual violence: From silence to condemnation of a weapon of war. Georgetown University Press.