Rape Culture at Wartime and the Weaponization of Sexual Violence

1.      Cultural Context

 

In many African societies, women traditionally live with their parents until marriage. Culturally, it is often considered improper or even immoral for a woman—young or old—to live alone in her own apartment or house. Women who do so may be labeled as prostitutes. In some communities, women who marry foreigners are also stigmatized, since their association with outsiders is seen as crossing social boundaries. A woman’s movements are often confined to domestic and family-related spaces—school, work, the market, and family visits, while men’s world is public.

In traditional marriage practices in some African countries, several physical and social traits are valued in women. To be considered a desirable bride, a woman is expected to be:

1.       A virgin

2.      Well-endowed (“big bobo”)

3.      Broad-hipped and curvy

4.      Tall with a long neck &

5.      Possessing bright white teeth

A woman with all five traits can attract a bride price of up to 100 bulls or more, especially when several men compete for her hand. By contrast, a woman who possesses only a few of these qualities may be “worth” only a few goats, sheep, or chickens.

In communities influenced by Arab culture, premarital sex is seen as a deep source of family shame. In extreme cases, a woman who becomes pregnant before marriage may be killed by her father in what is called an honor killing—an act intended to “preserve” family dignity.

2. The Impact of War and Sexual Violence

 

During wartime, women often become targets of rape, abduction, and sexual enslavement. Those who lose their virginity through rape face immense stigma, making it nearly impossible for them to find husbands afterward. In some cases, husbands abandon wives who have been raped, while entire communities disown survivors. Tragically, there is often no medical or psychological support to help women recover from the trauma.

Rape during conflict is not a random act—it is a deliberate weapon of war. Armed groups use it to:

• Dehumanize and dominate women by turning them into sexual slaves and breaking the morale of their communities.
• Send a message of power and humiliation, implying that the victims will carry the perpetrator’s offspring, thus changing the social and demographic fabric of the region.
• Redefine ethnic or political boundaries by impregnating women to alter future generations.

3. Male Victims of Wartime Rape

 

Although less discussed, men and boys are also victims of wartime sexual violence. Raping males serves similar purposes: to dehumanize, to assert dominance, and to spread fear within communities. It carries an additional layer of cultural shame, as African traditions consider male submission to sexual violence as a deep dishonor. Such acts are sometimes carried out by national security forces to instill fear and suppress dissent. For instance, many men arrested or detained experienced rape and sexual violence in the custody of the National Security of Sudan (NSS) and South Sudan (NSS) and Uganda Defense forces (northern Uganda).

4. Consequences for Victims

 

The aftermath of sexual violence is devastating. Survivors often face lifelong trauma, social rejection, and economic marginalization. Many are disowned by their families and shunned by their communities. Those who become pregnant through rape sometimes resort to abortion or infanticide to avoid reliving the trauma and social stigma.

Children born of rape frequently grow up as painful reminders of violence. For the families, these assaults also represent the loss of bride wealth—a significant economic blow, as a raped daughter is no longer considered marriageable and thus 'worth' no bride price. For example, South Sudan, the Darfur region of Sudan, Central Africa, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and others were ranked lower than Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Darfur, women who were raped or sexually abused would always describe their experiences as follows: "Rebels or military beat her, meaning rape her to avoid shame."

5. Conclusion

 

Rape during war is not simply an act of lust or opportunism; it is a weapon intentionally designed to destroy individuals, families, and entire societies. It exploits existing cultural norms about honor, purity, and gender, turning them into instruments of humiliation and control. Addressing wartime rape requires not only justice for the perpetrators but also a profound cultural and institutional transformation that restores dignity, provides trauma care, and rebuilds community trust.