Sexual violence in the Iraqi insurgency

The Islamic State (IS) has employed sexual violence against women and men in a terroristic^[1] manner. Sexual violence, as defined by The World Health Organization includes “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work.”^[2] IS has used sexual violence to undermine a sense of security within communities, and to raise funds through the sale of captives into sexual slavery.^[1][3]