International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict

Emmanuella Baah, (2024-25 College Ambassador from Iowa State University)

On June 19, the world pauses to observe the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict—a day dedicated to raising awareness about one of the most brutal and often invisible weapons of war: sexual violence. Proclaimed by the United Nations Assembly (A/RES/69/293) in 2015, this day honors victims and survivors of sexual violence, calls for justice, and reminds us of the urgent need to prevent such violence in conflicts around the world.

Today, the world is witnessing an unprecedented surge in armed conflicts, with the number of active wars now at its highest since World War II. From the ongoing war in Ukraine to the longstanding crisis between Israel and Palestine, to the devastating situations in Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan—the global map is marked by unrest. Beyond conflict statistics lies a quieter, more insidious weapon of war: sexual violence. Often hidden beneath layers of silence, shame, and stigma, sexual violence in conflict continues to be used strategically to terrorize, displace, destroy, and ethnically cleanse populations. As we observe the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we are called not only to recognize this horrific reality—but to act.

Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage, and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity committed against women, men, girls, or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to conflict. While anyone can be a victim of CRSV, women and girls are disproportionately affected in these vulnerable settings.

According to the 2024 UN Secretary-General’s Report on CRSV, women and girls accounted for over 95% of the 3,622 UN-verified cases. Among these, 1, 186 victims were children, with girls comprising 98% of those cases. Notwithstanding, CRSV is also perpetrated against men and boys, who made up 145 cases (4%), as well as against 21 individuals who identify as LGBTQI+. Alarmingly, just in March 2025, gender-based violence service providers in Sudan reported over 220 cases of child rape since 2024, with children as young as one-year old being assaulted by armed groups.

CRSV has a devastating impact on the physical, reproductive, and mental health of affected victims. Survivors often face stigma, exclusion, and inadequate access to medical support, leaving them to deal with the aftermath of the violence on their own. With legal systems and protection services for survivors under strain amid conflict–if they exist at all–perpetrators are rarely held accountable, undermining the prospects for peace, security, and justice. This has been the case of international tribunals, which lacks their own enforcement mechanisms and as such, must rely on state cooperation to carry out arrests and investigations—leaving prosecutions vulnerable when states are unwilling or unable to act to bring perpetrators of CRSV to justice. As a 2023 study by Broache and Kore found, legal mechanisms alone are not a panacea. Preventing CRSV requires alternative—and potentially more resource-intensive—approaches beyond criminal justice.

Therefore, what you can do is to:

1.     Amplify the voices of survivors.

2.     Create safer spaces for survivors and victims.

3.     Practice active and intentional listening and stand in solidarity with victims and survivors of CRSV.

4.     Donate to amplify the work supporting survivors, including the Global Survivors Fund and the All Survivors Project.