Breaking the Cycle, Healing the Scars: A Path to Hope for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

June 19, 2025, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, a day set aside to honor survivors, remember victims, and stand against the use of sexual violence as a method of war. This year’s theme, “Breaking the Cycle, Healing the Scars,” urges the world to move beyond condemnation and adopt a more proactive and healing-centered approach. The focus is shifting toward confronting the intergenerational impact of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), ensuring that survivors are not forgotten, and that prevention, justice, and healing go hand in hand.

CRSV is not random or isolated. It is a calculated weapon, designed to terrorize, humiliate, and displace. The United Nations defines CRSV to include rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy and abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage, and other similarly grave abuses committed against women, men, girls, or boys in the context of conflict. These are not just crimes against individuals; they are attacks on families, communities, and cultures.

The scope of the problem is massive. According to the UN Secretary-General’s annual reports, the number of verified CRSV cases has risen steadily, from 2,542 in 2020 to 3,355 in 2021, then decreased slightly to 3,192 in 2022, before surging again to 3,688 in 2023. This represents a 45% increase over four years. Yet these are only the verified cases; actual numbers are likely far higher. Agencies such as WHO and UNICEF estimate that up to 80% of CRSV cases remain undocumented. The actual annual total could exceed 75,000, often unnoticed due to fear, stigma, and inadequate reporting systems.

Quick Facts: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) Overview

Aspect	Details / Figures	Source / Year
Definition	Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage, and other forms of sexual violence linked to conflict.	UNSC Resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 2467 (2019)
Verified Cases	2020: 2,542; 2021: 3,355; 2022: 3,192; 2023: 3,688 → 45.08% increase from 2020 to 2023	UN Secretary-General’s Annual Reports (2020–2024)
Top 5 Countries (2023)	DRC: 1,117; Myanmar: 456; Ethiopia: 379; Ukraine: 342; South Sudan: 298	UN SC Report on CRSV (2024)
Demographics	Women/girls: 91–94%; Men/boys: 2–5%; LGBTI+: 0.6% Data severely underreported	UNFPA, OHCHR, UN Women (2022)
Underreporting	An estimated 80% of cases go undocumented; real annual cases may exceed 75,000	WHO, UNICEF, UN Action Against CRSV
Health Impacts	Physical: Injuries, STIs, HIV, infertility, obstetric fistula; Psychological: PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation	WHO, MSF, UNHCR (2021–2023)
Social/Economic Impacts	Stigma, family rejection, school dropout, job loss, intergenerational poverty	ICRC, UNDP, Oxfam (2023)
Children Born of CRSV	Face statelessness, stigma, identity crises	Save the Children, Harvard HHI (2023)
Legal Recognition	CRSV prosecutable under war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide	Rome Statute, CEDAW, UNSC Resolutions
Accountability	Fewer than 2% of perpetrators face justice in conflict settings	UNGA Report on Impunity (2022)
Access to Services	Less than 40% of survivors receive any form of support (medical, legal, psychosocial)	UNFPA GBV Tracker (2023)
Emerging Trends	Online-facilitated CRSV (e.g., Ukraine); increased CRSV use in Sudan, Tigray by armed groups and state actors	UN SRSG on CRSV Briefing (2024)
Global Commitments	103 countries endorsed the Murad Code (2021) https://www.muradcode.com/; 85 joined the UN Action network	Nadia’s Initiative, UN Action, UK PSVI (2023)

Some countries consistently rank among the highest in verified incidents. In 2023, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported 1,117 cases, Myanmar followed with 456, Ethiopia with 379, Ukraine with 342, and South Sudan with 298. These countries are not only engulfed in prolonged conflict but also plagued by impunity and institutional collapse, creating fertile ground for systematic abuse.

The consequences of CRSV are devastating and multifaceted. Physically, survivors suffer from injuries, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, infertility, chronic pain, and obstetric fistula. These conditions are often compounded by limited or nonexistent access to emergency health services. Psychologically, the toll includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidal thoughts, nightmares, and dissociation, issues that can persist for years or even lifetimes if left untreated.

The damage does not end with the individual. Socially and economically, survivors frequently face ostracization, abandonment by family, loss of income, and withdrawal from education or employment. They are often driven into poverty and isolation. The impact can be particularly cruel for children born of rape, who often grow up without legal identity, facing rejection, stigma, and severe psychological distress. In countries like Syria, Iraq, and Nigeria, these children are marginalized from birth, denied access to education, healthcare, and community acceptance.

CRSV also leaves a lasting imprint on future generations. Trauma is often passed down, psychologically and emotionally, from survivors to their children and grandchildren. In this way, CRSV becomes an intergenerational wound, fueling cycles of silence, shame, and suffering.

Despite this grim landscape, international legal frameworks have evolved to recognize CRSV as both a preventable atrocity and a prosecutable crime. Under Articles 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute, such acts can constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, or even genocide. UN Security Council Resolutions 1820, 1888, and 2467 have reaffirmed this commitment. Additionally, CEDAW General Recommendation 30 outlines gender-based protections in conflict contexts. Yet justice remains elusive. Fewer than 2% of perpetrators in conflict zones are ever held accountable, a reality shaped by weak legal institutions, political interference, and the constant threat of retaliation against survivors who come forward. Hybrid courts, like those attempted in South Sudan, and International Criminal Court (ICC) interventions remain critically underutilized.

Support for survivors is also dangerously limited. Less than 40% of survivors globally receive any form of medical, legal, or psychosocial assistance. The situation is particularly dire in remote and conflict-affected regions, where health and legal infrastructure are often destroyed or overwhelmed. Even where services exist, survivors may be too afraid or ashamed to access them.

Worryingly, new trends in CRSV have emerged in recent years. In Ethiopia’s Tigray region and parts of Sudan, CRSV has been weaponized on a massive scale by both state and non-state armed groups. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, digital platforms are increasingly being used to facilitate sexual violence through threats, coercion, and the online dissemination of abuse footage. Perpetrators now include not only militias and military personnel but also peacekeepers and police forces. This evolution in tactics reflects a new frontier in the fight against CRSV, one that requires urgent adaptation and vigilance.

On the global stage, there have been some positive developments. As of 2023, 103 countries have endorsed the Murad Code, a survivor-centered standard for documenting CRSV, and 85 nations have joined the UN Action network. These are important commitments, but they are not enough. Many of these initiatives remain poorly funded, unevenly implemented, and devoid of enforcement mechanisms.

Survivor-led initiatives have shown great promise. When survivors are empowered to lead, whether through advocacy, peer networks, or national awareness campaigns, stigma diminishes and healing begins. Community-based interventions that provide trauma-informed care, safe housing, education, and economic opportunities can transform lives. But such efforts require long-term political will, sustainable funding, and cross-sector coordination.

Refugees, in particular, face extreme vulnerabilities to CRSV. Camps and informal settlements often lack proper lighting, secure sanitation facilities, and safe access to essential services. Yet, displaced communities are not helpless. Around the world, refugee women are leading grassroots movements, running protection committees, and offering peer counseling to other survivors. The narrative must shift from one of passive victimhood to one that recognizes the agency, strength, and leadership of survivors and refugees alike.

As we approach June 19, the message must be loud and clear. CRSV is not inevitable. It is preventable. Healing is possible. Justice is necessary. To truly break the cycle, the world must invest in a comprehensive, survivor-centered response, one that offers medical care, psychosocial support, legal recourse, and economic reintegration, while also holding perpetrators accountable and addressing the underlying drivers of conflict and gender-based violence.

The scars of CRSV may run deep, but with sustained action, empathy, and global solidarity, healing can prevail. Let this be the year we do more than commemorate. Let this be the year we act, so that the survivors of today do not become the forgotten generations of tomorrow.

About the Author: Tahir Ali Shah is a humanitarian professional with over 20 years of experience managing protection and development programs across South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He has worked extensively in refugee response, child protection, and humanitarian advocacy. He can be reached at tshaha@gmail.com