Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in Situations of Fragility and Conflict

Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence in situations of fragility and conflict. Sexual and physical violence against women and girls are often used to dominate, to terrorize, and to humiliate people (World Bank 2011). During conflict, they are often sexually tortured and abused with devastating physical and psychological trauma. The high level of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls can also continue after conflicts finally end, especially before judicial and law enforcement systems are rebuilt. Although survivors of sexual violence are overwhelmingly women and girls, men and boys can also be subject to sexual violence or forced to perpetrate sexual violence against other, and even their family members (World Bank 2011).