International Law On Sexual Violence

According to ICRtoP, the Democratic Republic of Congo is reported to be the “rape capital of the world” with an estimated 15,000 rape cases in the Congo’s eastern provinces alone. Rape is a tool of war used by the various armed forces in the Congo in order to “create instability in

Violence against women has been ever-present throughout time and place in our world and in recorded history. Although violence against women encompasses a whole range of related acts, rape and sexual assault perpetrated against women is the focus of this paper. Men and boys are also victims of sexual assault, but the numbers of women who are sexual assaulted are much higher. We will be examining the definition of rape, the effects of rape, issues associated with rape, theories about the cause of rape and engage in some speculation on what can be done to improve the safety of women.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has a very violent history and is still filled with conflict to this day. Ever since the Democratic Republic of Congo (known as Zaire until 1996) gained independence in 1960, there were violent plays for power and two wars occurred. Since armed forces have appeared, they have committed (mainly sexual) crimes against the people in this country. In 2006, the South Kivu Province was reported to have more than 27,000 sexual assault occur. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Nothing in this declaration may be interpreted as implying for any state, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any rights and freedoms set forth herein (30).”

Internationally, sexual assault is more likely the result of conflict with or within a society or nation. Emily Rauhala goes into much depth concerning males as victims of sexual assault primarily in the South African Congo and how this is not as spoken upon. She provides information about detention facilities and prisons that have reportedly used sexual assault as a torture treatment during these war times. “In South Africa’s overcrowded, under-funded prisons, rape and sexual violence are used to define and maintain a strict social hierarchy in which victims are humiliated, dominated and feminized,” (Johnson 2014). Rauhala provides an account of a male in the Congo who tells of his experience with sexual assault and how it has changed his life forever.

Two of the most serious public health and social issues faced in the world today are sexual assault

Rape is sexual intercourse with a woman against her will or without her consent, it is the most reoccurring crime committed against woman by men. The most effected evil is done to woman or done by any male person cause destruction of her whole prospective of living. Sexual assault is a major form of sexual violence affecting women. It includes, rape, attempted rape, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation).rape not only effect the soma (body) of the woman but also directly effects the health of the woman after the incidence she under goes from several stress which cause harmful consequences for her living and health. Society looks the rape woman as stigma on the society and blames her for the act due the way of living, wearing clothes and going out in nights. In every countries, there is quiet similar tradition and perception towards the status of woman in public sphere. Inequality between man and woman is still present which shows the attitude of society towards woman that woman are meant to stay in homes, whereas man are meant to be work. Exhibition of power by man to woman by different way of assault effects the health of woman in different ways.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has continuously experienced increasingly brutal cases of violence against the female gender (Peterman, Palemo, & Bredenkamp, 2011). As Peterman et al. (2011) continue to state, this gender based violence against women in the Congo is mainly characterized by widespread sexual violence, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), gang rape, and the abduction of women for sexual slavery purposes among several others. As a matter of importance, sexual violence against women is reported to be more prevalent within families, the resulting consequence being the continuous destabilization of populations, aside from the destruction of both community and family bonds (Johnson, Scott, Rughita, Kisielewski, Asher, Ong, & Lwry, 2010). Recent reports from world bodies such as the United Nations indicate that a majority of the cases of sexual violence reported in the DRC are inexplicably linked to the ongoing armed and civil unrest in the Congo. The eastern parts of Congo that border Rwanda, i.e. North and South Kivu regions are reported as having been the most affected by the continued violence against women. This research paper seeks to argue that the violence against women in the Congo reflects a systematic, colonial-style gender based discrimination and violence against the female gender as it relates to space and power.

There have been a lot of recent tragedies in Africa and a lot of attentions have been giving to the female victim. In this article Lara Stemple want the same attention to be giving to the male victims as well. As stated the reports of male rape in Congo has been made clear that wartime sexual violence is not limited to women and girls. As of now, the United Nation has the situation at hand and they overlook sexual assault of men and boy. Lara Stemple wants us to see the reason while sexual violence against men occasionally make the news. Sexual violence is ‘any violence, whether physical and/or mental, carried out through sexual means or by targeting sexuality’ (Lewis, 2009). An example is the sexual abuse and humiliation that took place in Iraq at the Abu Ghraib prison stunned the world.

Sexual violence, rape, and inequality have plagued refugee camps across war-torn countries for decades. Women and children are susceptible to sexual violence during times of conflict. Thousands are victims of these crimes and are forever impacted by the effects, both mentally and physically. They rely on international civil servants to help during their time of need, yet there have been many cases where those very civil servants, and international relief workers have been the culprits. < = Good

As disturbing new reports of male rape in Congo made clear, wartime sexual violence isn’t limited to women and girls. But in its straightforward effort to get rid of rape during conflict. The United Nations continues to overlook a significant amount of people ending wartime sexual assault of men and boys as well.

Sexual violence has left hundreds of thousands of women raped, brutalized, pregnate and infected with HIV/AIDS. And hundreds of thousands of women are sold and traded annually for forced labor and sexual slavery.

Scientific interest in the issue of violence against women and its connections to poor mental health used to be insignificant. Nevertheless, the rise of second wave feminism and activism around women’s rights generated the development of interest in the worldwide social problem of violence against women (Walker, 1989, p.702). The importance of this problem has now been affirmed. Violence against women is legally realized as a priority health and human rights problem (WHO, 1997). In March 1999 at the 43 rd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, a Resolution was adopted that admitted that violence against women is becoming acute in all countries, societies and socio-economic groups and as a aftermath the

Sexual violence becomes a big topic that people pay more attention to it these days. It is a positive attitude because it should let people know how serious it is. Sexual violence is not the same as other types of violence. It does not only hurt women by physical, but also hurt them by very serious mental problem. As we all know, the mental disease sometimes cannot totally recover by having medicine. Patients need other people to help them by talk with them, which can figure out the way to treat. In my opinion, the issue of sexual violence is a huge mission that should be attached importance to deal with it, also it needs the support of the public.

Domestic violence against women refers to structural acts of aggression, sadism, pain, and oppression that are gender-based resulting to physical, psychological, and sexual harm, and suffering to women. Coercing, arbitrary deprivation of liberty and threatening to engage in actions causing harm and suffering either in public or private to women also constitute gender-based domestic violence. According to Black et al. (2011), gender-based roots of violence and aggression should be recognized as crucial social mechanisms leading to women being forced to positions of subordination compared to their male counterparts (p. 7). Physical, emotional, sexual, and psychology harm towards women encompass violence occurring in the family, general community, and that perpetrated by the State. Intimate life partners and family members are also major contributors towards domestic violence. They often engage in acts of abuse including beating, strangling, kicking, slapping, arm twisting, stabbing, burning, and choking, as well as threats using weapons and objects. According to Khan (2000), female genital mutilation and wife inheritance should also be recognized as traditional forms of domestic violence as they harmed and caused suffering to women (p. 2). A focus on domestic violence will prove that all types of gender-based violence against the female population should neither go unnoticed nor taken lightly as they affect women, children, families, and the

This tome epitomises the atrocities being perpetrated against women in various forms, combinations and modes. This volume highlights various aspects of domestic violence, dowry, exploitation in various ways besides teen dating, sexual slavery, rape and various other aspects besides the role of police in curbing this evil as the pillars of administration. It highlights the plight of women world over in the light of various studies on violence against women. It farther underscores the various aspects of violence with a focus on various roles of women under different situations like social, intimate family relations, community situations, cultural situations and various political contexts.