Sexual violence has long been used as a tactic of war in conflicts across the globe, disproportionately affecting women and girls. The United Nation’s annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence reveals a grim development: sexual violence increased by 25% in conflict zones in 2024. A glaring example is the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where healthcare providers treated more than 17,000 victims of sexual violence within five months in 2024. Hamas was also listed due to UN-verified accounts of sexual violence carried out on Israeli hostages in captivity in Gaza as well as during the attacks on October 7, 2023. Also of note is that the report named parties “on notice” – specifically Israeli and Russian armed forces – who may be included in the next year’s report. Below we’ve linked you to the full UN report as well as a summary of the major findings.
Sexual Violence On the Rise According to the UN
