Women and war in the 21st century
The acts of sexual assault committed against women during the civil conflicts in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, saw the issue of rape as a war crime forced onto the international agenda in the 1990s. While the rape and persecution of women during times of war remains a worldwide problem, many international organizations working in conflict zones are beginning to tell stories about the complex roles that women play in during wartimes. Letitia Anderson works with Red Cross Australia and is the former policy advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross’s War and Women Project in Geneva. She told the Wire that while it remained of crucial importance to protect women against sexual and other assault during times of war, it was equally important to look beyond the stereotype of women as victims.
International Committee of the Red Cross