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Confronting the devastating reality of sexual violence in the Middle East

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Girls and women around the world continue to face horrific violence: rape, loss of control over their bodies and irreparable wounds. The pain of such trauma never fades. June 19 was the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, celebrating the resilience of those who have been subjected to sexual assault.

For more stories from The Media Line, visit themedialine.org

Sexual violence is a particularly worrying and widespread problem in the Middle East. Women and girls across the region face significant risks both in conflict areas and in their daily lives.

The media line spoke to humanitarian organizations and experts on sexual violence in the Middle East to gain insights into this issue.

Diana Nammi, executive director of the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization (IKWRO), which advises and supports women from the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan who have survived sexual violence, said The media line that sexual violence in the region is a complex and deep-rooted problem, influenced by a variety of cultural, social, political and economic factors and societal norms.

According to Nammi, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have weak legal frameworks to combat sexual violence, as laws are outdated or poorly enforced. Nammi reported that in some cases, marital rape is not recognized and perpetrators can escape justice by marrying their victims.

Women and children wait to register before a food distribution by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Thonyor, Leer state, South Sudan, February 26, 2017. (Source: REUTERS/Siegfried Modola)

“In many MENA societies, the concepts of honour and shame are central. Women’s sexuality is often linked to family honour, making sexual violence particularly stigmatising. Victims can be blamed and marginalised. Patriarchal norms dominate, with men holding the main power. This can lead to the normalisation of male control over women’s bodies, resulting in more cases of sexual violence,” explained Nammi.

“The difficulty of obtaining justice for sexual violence can compound feelings of oppression. The lack of support structures and the risk of becoming a victim within the legal system deter many from seeking help,” she added.

Nammi explained that cultural norms in some parts of the MENA region often lead to victim blaming, which leads to social ostracism and loss of reputation for victims and their families.

“In extreme cases, victims face honor killings or forced marriages,” she said.

Statistical underestimation

Most statistics on sexual violence are underestimated due to the nature of these crimes. Victims are often unable to report abuse due to shame and fear. However, statistics show that in Egypt, about 44% of women have experienced sexual harassment. In Iraq, about 45.3% have been victims of domestic violence. In Yemen, women and girls are exposed to sexual violence by armed groups due to ongoing conflict. Lebanese women and girls also face significant risks of sexual and gender-based violence. While the Palestinian territories struggle to provide specific statistics on sexual violence, gender-based violence remains widespread.

Orit Sulitzeanu, executive director of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, said The media line that it is less acceptable to talk about sexual violence in more traditional and religious communities, such as Arab or ultra-religious communities.

“As an Israeli belonging to the ultra-Orthodox community, if you share that you have been subjected to sexual violence, it can affect your dating experience – not only your own, but also that of your sisters and brothers, because your family’s reputation is no longer as ‘clean’ as it once was,” she said.

Sulitzeanu added that people who have been sexually abused are often embarrassed and ashamed to talk about their experiences.

“It causes people to carry a big secret that affects their personality. A mother who was sexually abused and never talked about it, for example, can pass her fears on to her children,” she said.

Sulitzeanu explained the complexity of sexual violence, saying it can take years for many survivors to realise they have been abused.

“For example, if you were attacked by your father or someone close to you, you may feel like it was something romantic. It may take many years for you to understand that you were hurt,” she said.

“Sexual violence hurts the soul of victims and leaves them unable to return to work, have a family, partner or children. This has many terrible consequences,” Sulitzeanu added.

She explained that modern research shows that sexual violence has a major impact on health. In addition, many survivors are unable to visit doctors to examine their private parts or dentists due to psychological trauma.

Nammi also stated that sexual violence in MENA communities has a serious impact on society.

“Victims often suffer physical injuries that require medical treatment and sometimes lead to chronic health problems. Women can face complications such as unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and gynecological problems. The risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, increases particularly in conflict areas where sexual violence is used as a weapon of war,” she said.

Sulitzeanu stressed that the statistics of the Western world must also be taken into account. She said that one in three women and one in six men experience sexual violence in their lifetime.

“These are frightening statistics that show that sexual violence is a social phenomenon. It is not an individual problem,” she said.

According to Nammi, some countries in the Middle East have implemented significant legal reforms to better protect victims of sexual violence.

“Jordan and Lebanon, for example, have abolished laws that allowed rapists to escape punishment by marrying their victims. Tunisia has passed comprehensive laws to prevent violence against women and provide better support for victims,” ​​she said.

Nammi noted that despite legislative reforms, enforcement remains a significant problem.

“Corruption, lack of law enforcement training and judicial bias continue to prevent victims from receiving justice,” she said.

Sexual violence is still used as a weapon of war and as a devastating form of attack and oppression. A recent, particularly gruesome example is the October 7 attack on Israel, in which Hamas terrorists committed sexual crimes against Israeli women.

Sulitzeanu stated that the situation of sexual violence in Israel has worsened since the war with Hamas.

“Our society has suffered from a national trauma. Many women today feel that their home is not a safe place and that anyone can invade their home and their bodies. What happened in Israel was horrific and traumatic. Imagine you are at home and suddenly terrorists come into the house, rape you, maybe rape children and kill you,” she said.

“We are still gathering more information and evidence and trying to fully understand what happened. But we will never know and never have all the information, because most of the victims of this terrible violence are dead,” Sulitzeanu added.

She reported that in Israel, former victims of sexual violence are now being triggered. The hotline of the country’s Association of Rape Crisis Centers is now receiving more calls from former survivors.

“Their trauma has been made worse by the war and some of them cannot return to their normal lives,” she explains.

According to Sulitzeanu, Israel is now faced with what he calls a “new hierarchy of pain and suffering” as a result of the war.

“If you are a victim of the October 7 massacre, then society accepts you. But no one accepts you if you are just a victim of incest or normal sexual violence. Because normal sexual violence is not considered sexual violence because of the war. I don’t think that’s fair. The suffering is suffering and the effects will last for many years to come,” she said.

Nammi explained that sexual violence serves to break the will of communities and individuals.

“By targeting women and girls, perpetrators seek to demoralise and destabilise communities, destroying their social fabric and morality,” she added.

Nammi said another recent example of this problem is the situation in Syria and Iraq, where the Islamic State systematically used sexual violence, including rape and sexual slavery, against Yazidi women and girls as part of its campaign of terror and genocide. During the Syrian civil war, various factions have used sexual violence to intimidate and control the population, especially in areas of severe conflict.

“Addressing the problem of sexual violence in the Middle East requires a multifaceted and collaborative approach involving governments, civil society, international organizations and individuals,” said Nammi.

She stressed the need to enact and enforce comprehensive laws criminalising all forms of sexual violence, improve legal and judicial systems and encourage countries to ratify and implement international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

“We need to launch large-scale awareness-raising campaigns, increase the availability of shelter, counselling and legal aid, create economic opportunities and vocational training for women to reduce dependency and vulnerability, provide targeted support to refugees and internally displaced people and apply international pressure to encourage governments to take more decisive action against sexual violence and raise awareness of the problem,” Nammi said.

She also stressed the importance of engaging men and boys as allies in the fight against sexual violence and promoting positive masculinity and respect for women.

Sulitzeanu explained that recognition and validation are essential.

“Society must understand that sexual violence is an abuse of power. The strong abuse their power over the less strong. This can be a father, an older brother, a teacher and so on,” she said. The media line.

Another important aspect, according to Sulitzeanu, is to make the criminal justice system more trauma-oriented.

“The police must treat the person who complains with great respect. Throughout the entire process, which is very difficult, from the day you arrive at the police station, through the months and years of prosecution, to your court date, judges, prosecutors and police officers must be very specialized in treating trauma,” she concluded.



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