On top of the general vulnerability of civilian populations in modern conflict, women and girls face the additional threat of being the targets of gender-based violence. The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war takes many horrifying forms, such as rape, sexual slavery and forced domestic labour.

During their journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2004, the members of SUM 41 saw the realities of gender-based violence in that country while visiting a centre for the rehabilitation of young girls who have survived sexual violence. There, the band discovered that “during the conflict, one of the main weapons used was rape. It’s basically something that instils fear within the town.”

The scale of these abuses is catastrophic. According to Amnesty International, during the seven-year conflict in the DRC, at least 40,000 women and children were raped by armed combatants. Another estimate is that 1 out of every 3 women and girls have been raped during the conflict. These women and girls have survived the devastating circumstances. One girl told the band the story that had brought her to the rehabilitation centre:

“They caught us in the house. They raped us, then they chased away our parents. They kidnapped us. Our parents thought they were going to kill us. They brought other girls then told us to leave.” At the time, the girl was 15 years old.

The health consequences of such brutality include internal wounds, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and most alarmingly – HIV/AIDS infection. Women and girls who are raped during conflict have a much higher chance of contracting HIV/AIDS, and less likelihood of seeking medical attention.

In fact, many women who survive gender-based violence during conflict do not seek any treatment at all for their injuries, fearing the social stigma that they might face if their ordeal is made public. Those who are rejected from their communities often become the sole providers for their children and are at a higher risk of suicide than the general population.

The girl who told her story to the members of SUM 41 also explained the long-term social consequences of her experience, as well as her resilience in the face of fear: “I want to take care of myself. I don’t think anyone will want to marry me. Then I’ll stay in my house. I don’t want to go back there. The soldiers might kill me.”

Men and boys are also victims of rape and sexual violence, although their cases are reported even less frequently than those of women and therefore receive less medical attention. Regardless of the victim’s gender, the words of SUM 41 ring true: “It is probably one of the most terrible things that could happen to you….And I don’t think that’s any way for a child to grow up.”