Sexual violence in armed conflicts and modern international law

Sexual violence in various forms is a particular brand of evil that women have endured during armed conflicts, from time immemorial. It is a problem that has continued to task the conscience of humanity, especially in our times. There has been no shortage of basic laws at the international level that could have tempered the frequency of this scourge. What is needed is a more conscious determination to enforce the existing laws: especially in the manner of more robust and creative interpretation and application. Beginning with an attempt at understanding evildoing during armed conflicts, from both the general perspective and the particular angle of sexual violence itself, this dissertation explores ways of shoring up international legal protection of women from sexual violence in armed conflicts from certain aspects. The aspects explored include the responsibility of persons in superior positions of authority for the sexual violence that their subordinates commit against women during armed conflicts, definition of rape in international criminal law, commission of genocide through sexual violence, sexual violence as comprised in the war crime of terrorism, sexual violence in internal armed conflicts as grave breaches of international humanitarian norms, and forced marriage during armed conflicts as an emergen