Rape and Sexual Violence as Weapons in Armed Conflicts

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on the 24th of February, numerous allegations have emerged that Russian soldiers have been and continue to sexually assault women. Rape and sexual assaults are war crimes, and a breach of international humanitarian law, but despite U.N. resolutions, international legal duties, voluntary pledges and so on, the use of these crimes continues. We speak Dr. Johanna Higgs, a women’s rights activist, anthropologist and the founder of the women's rights advocacy group Project Monma, to discuss how rape and sexual violence are used as weapons of war, with a focus on the Ukraine conflict.

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