ABSTRACT
In war-torn areas like Syria and Somalia, civilians face horrible choices daily, including whether to stay and try to survive, or whether to try to make it to a refugee camp. Rape as a weapon of war, the challenges faced by women left as primary caregivers as a result of war, and the trials of women refugees are all humanitarian issues, but also violence-related security issues that too often go unrecognized as such. Rape as a weapon of war is regularly used to terrorize, cleanse and break down the fabric of society. In some conflicts, women have been used as sex slaves much as the Korean Comfort Women were during World War II. Women have been victims of sexual violence at the hands of those sent to protect them. United Nations Peacekeepers operate under three basic principles: consent of the parties in conflict, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defense and defense of their mandate.
