BBC NEWS | Americas | UN classifies rape a 'war tactic'
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said violence against women had reached "unspeakable proportions" in some societies recovering from conflict.
Susan Brownmiller wrote about rape being more about power than sex in 1975 in "Against Our Will". Sexual assault (of both genders) as a war tactic or war crime has long been understood by feminist scholars.
Part of the reason that rape is an effective war tactic is the decreased status of women who have been raped, especially in societies where women are chattel. There are reports of rape victims in Congo who are rejected by their families. These practices in turn lead a further weakening of the society.
Maybe rape as a war tactic would decrease if victims were viewed as the same as those who have suffered a violent crime.
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