During conflicts women, like men, are murdered, tortured, displaced, imprisoned, dispossessed, starved and forced into slave labour. Yet, in addition to these crimes, women and girls are particularly targeted for sexual violence. Sexual violence, though often associated with rape encompasses a wide array of other forms of attack including but not limited to: sexual assault; sexual slavery; sexual torture; forced nudity; forced prostitution; forced impregnation; forced sterilisation; forced marriages; and sexual mutilation. While there is growing evidence that men and boys are sometimes also victims of sexual abuse during conflicts, systemic and organised abuse of women remains much more common. Sexual crimes are not particular to certain types of conflicts or culture but are exceedingly commonplace during internal and international armed conflicts around the world and at all times.

Sexual violence has detrimental and overreaching consequences for women, their families, communities and the ethnic group to which they belong. This is especially true given that the concept of shame associated with the rape of women in peacetime continues for the sexual violence committed in conflicts. Rape and sexual crimes have destructive socio-economic and health effects on women's lives.