In July 2002, 60 countries ratified the Statute of Rome, which led to the establishment of the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague in the Netherlands. It was the first document that recognised rape and other forms of sexual violence during times of armed conflict as constituting a war crime, a crime against humanity and genocide.
This web dossier, produced in collaboration with Worldcom-LolaMora Producciones, examines the issue of war rape and sexual violence in recent history, the ongoing rape of tens of thousands of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the essential role women have to play in building peace, and the need for justice and reparations for victims of sexual violence.
Personal stories
Below we present four personal accounts given by recent victims of rape and sexual violence in Africa. Click on the images below to read about the experiences of Marie, Francine, Olive and Christine, but please note that you may find their accounts harrowing.
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