How Does Stigma Impact Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence During Armed Conflict?

Despite clear prohibitions under international humanitarian law (IHL), sexual violence has been recorded in at least 51 countries affected by armed conflict. When victims/survivors of sexual violence are unjustly blamed for the violence they have suffered, stigma amplifies the original harm in a multi-layered way. Although often overlooked, stigmatiza¬tion is one of the key consequences of sexual violence, altering the life trajectories not only of victims/survivors but also societies at large. Since 2022, the ICRC’s Prevention of Sexual Violence Programme carried out an extensive consultation of the risks arising from stigma with 948 individuals, of whom 27 per cent were victims/survivors of sexual violence, and 66 organ¬izations, collecting testimonies in 19 countries. In this brief, we present the main lessons learned from our global consultations and make recom¬mendations to guide efforts to reduce stigma against victims/survivors of sexual violence and foster community healing.