Use of Sexual Violence by the Janjaweed
June 6, 2007
One of the main tools of the Janjaweed is the indiscriminate rape and sexual violence against women in Sudan. International organizations like Amnesty International and other NGO's have collected thousands of testimony from women from across the region, detailing horrific accounts of rape and torture committed by the Janjaweed.
Culturally, rape has a devastating effect on the dignity of a woman, her family and her community. It is used by the Janjaweed to humiliate and dehumanize the victim of rape, as well as shame her in the eyes of the community. Pregnant women are no exception to the onslaught of sexual violence. In addition, women who attempt to resist are beaten and/or killed. There have been reports of women being tortured and maimed to prevent their escape after being used by Janjaweed militiamen.
Another common tactic of the Janjaweed is to abduct women/girls for use as sex slaves. Girls as well as women have been abducted, raped and beaten by the Janjaweed. Women are often easier targets for violence of all kinds during attacks on villages because their gender roles require them to remain close to home and provide primary care for their children
As a result of rape many women feel an intense cultural stigma, as well as alienation by and from other refugees. In addition, women who become pregnant from acts of rape are even more likely to suffer further abuses of their dignity and rights. Furthermore, the child born of such violence is often regarded as a "child of the enemy" and may occasionally be abandoned by the mother, or further cause of shame and alienation. It has been estimated that 1% of the population currently has HIV/AIDS in Sudan. As of 2005, 35,000 people had died as a result of AIDS in Sudan.
Female Circumcision is still practiced in Western Sudan - the majority of women have been circumcised or infibulated. This significantly raises the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections or HIV/AIDS.
The increasing spread of HIV/AIDS among women and sexual violence are interlinked. If governments are serious in their fight against the disease they also have to deal with another worldwide pandemic: violence against women.