Sexual violence has been used as a weapon of war throughout history, but that doesn’t mean it is inevitable. In June, Representatives Grace Meng (D-NY) and Maria Salazar (R-FL) introduced a bipartisan resolution in the US House of Representatives that recognizes the leading role the United States can play in eliminating this injustice. The resolution calls for the US government to commit to efforts to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence, to ensure accountability for perpetrators, and to strengthen support for and protection of survivors. The Women’s Refugee Commission wholeheartedly supports the resolution. We are grateful to Representative Meng and Representative Salazar for their bipartisan leadership on this issue of basic human rights.
Too often, sexual violence is used as a weapon of war to repress or terrorize civilians. Women and girls often pay the biggest price. Women in conflict zones live in fear of sexual assault, yet they are rarely able to access the protection, healthcare, or justice they deserve. Nobody should have to live this way.
In 2023 (the most recent year for which there is reliable data), cases of sexual violence – including rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, and forced marriage – increased by a staggering 50% from the previous year. Women and girls accounted for 95% of reported cases. Displaced, migrant, and refugee women and girls face heightened risks of conflict-related sexual violence. With conflicts since erupting or escalating in places such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti, and Myanmar, many more people are at risk of conflict-related sexual violence today. Conflict and instability, along with a lack of reporting, healthcare, or justice mechanisms, mean that cases are severely under-reported, survivors remain unprotected, and perpetrators are able to act without facing consequences.
Conflict-related sexual violence is considered a war crime, crime against humanity, and an act of genocide and torture under international jurisprudence. Yet it continues to occur in many conflicts across the world with almost total impunity. If passed, House Resolution 525 would enshrine the US’ role in ensuring accountability for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, strengthening justice for all survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and ensuring the meaningful participation of women in peace processes.
We urge all members of Congress to support the Resolution Affirming the Role of the United States in Eliminating Sexual Violence in Conflict, and to take a stand for the dignity, safety, and futures of women and girls and all who are at risk of conflict-related sexual violence.