The international community is increasingly recognizing that genderbased violence is a constant feature in conflict situations. In military confrontations, women’s bodies often become one of the terrains of war. Physical, emotional and sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls has been used to impose political agendas, humiliate opponents, and destroy entire communities. Violence against women is not merely a side effect of conflict, but an integral part of it. The situation that women in Iraq are facing today is a stark illustration of this phenomenon.
No Place to Turn: Violence against women in the Iraq conflict
Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights and Minority Rights Group International
The international community is increasingly recognizing that genderbased violence is a constant feature in conflict situations. In military confrontations, women’s bodies often become one of the terrains of war. Physical, emotional and sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls has been used to impose political agendas, humiliate opponents, and destroy entire communities. Violence against women is not merely a side effect of conflict, but an integral part of it. The situation that women in Iraq are facing today is a stark illustration of this phenomenon.