Publication

Prior to the 1990s, the limited availability of documentation on sexual violence in war posed a major challenge for academic analysis. It was difficult to determine the motivations of perpetrators in committing acts of sexual violence, the impact of sexual violence on victims, and the nature of any political impact such acts of violence might have during and after a conflict. Since the 1990s, however, this situation has improved as a result of the increased attention that has been given to this particular war phenomenon, together with the growing recognition that sexual violence can be used as a political weapon during war.