The Least Condemned Crime: Sexual and Gender Based Violence against Migrants and Asylum Seekers on the Move in the Horn of Africa

Sexual and gender based violence has been called the “least condemned crime” in conflict and fragile situations,1 and the stories are far too familiar. Three Eritrean women were repeatedly raped by their smuggler in Libya, according to a May 2015 Amnesty report. African women and girls arrive in Italy pregnant as a result of their rape, according to a UNICEF report. A CARE International report on South Sudan in May 2014 suggested “many categories of gender-based violence are pervasive and engrained in social norms and practices.” A joint Italian-IOM initiative offers testimonials to would-be migrants of those who suffered as victims of gender-based violence on their journey to Europe.