For too long, violence directed against women and girls in the midst of conflict and genocide has been accepted as inevitable and inconsequential. In the last decade, however, thanks to the work of women's rights organizations and advancements in international law, gender-based violence has received attention as a prosecutable crime. In a landmark decision in 1998, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda issued the first-ever conviction for genocide that included rape, when committed with the intent to destroy a group, as an act of genocide. Nevertheless, although legal progress and new advocacy coalitions have created better tools for recognizing and responding to gender-based violence, the risk to women and girls remains dangerously high.

This course includes video, audio interviews, photographs, and documents concerning gender-based violence as a crime of war and genocide. To take action against these crimes, please click on the "Take Action" link to the right.

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org) inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, promote human dignity, and prevent genocide.