War Crimes Against Women and Girls
The Somali civil war brought immense suffering to women and girls, who endured some of the conflict’s most brutal consequences.
The Somali civil war brought immense suffering to women and girls, who endured some of the conflict’s most brutal consequences. Sexual violence became a common weapon of war, used not only by armed groups to exert control but also as a deliberate strategy to terrorize communities, punish opposition clans, and destroy family honor. Rape, abduction, sexual slavery, and torture were widespread, leaving survivors with deep physical and psychological wounds.
In Somali society, the impact of such crimes extended far beyond the immediate trauma. Rape carried a heavy cultural stigma, and survivors often faced rejection by their families or isolation within their communities. For many women, this secondary victimization was as devastating as the violence itself. The silence surrounding sexual abuse meant that women carried their pain privately, with little recognition or support.
The chapter includes testimonies from women who courageously described their ordeals, speaking of trauma, humiliation, and long-lasting scars. Their accounts make clear that these crimes were not random acts but formed part of a wider pattern of warfare in which women’s bodies became battlegrounds.
Despite the scale of these abuses, accountability was almost entirely absent. Perpetrators, whether government soldiers, clan militias, or warlords, rarely faced justice. International attention was limited, and Somali authorities failed to protect women or recognize their suffering.
Yet, the very act of speaking out became a form of resistance. By giving testimony, Somali women broke cultural taboos, asserted their voices, and made sure that their experiences were not erased from history. Their stories reveal not only the brutality of war crimes but also the resilience of women determined to confront silence and shame.