H. Patricia Hynes, MA, MS, Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, 617-638-7720, hph@bu.edu

By the 1990s, 9 of 10 people who died in war from direct and indirect effects were civilians. Bombs and weapons of modern war kill and maim civilian women in equal numbers to civilian men. A unique harm of war for women is the trauma inflicted in military brothels, rape camps, and the growing sex trafficking for prostitution and by increased domestic violence, all of which is fueled by the culture of war, male aggression, and the social and economic ruin left in the wake of war. Widows of war, women victims of landmines, and women refugees of war are particularly vulnerable to poverty, prostitution, the extortion of sex for food by post-war peacekeepers, and higher illness and death in the post-conflict period. While problems exist with definitions and methods of measurement, a full accounting of the harm of war to civilian women is needed in the debate over whether war is justified.

This presentaion will describe the scope of harm to women as a result of war and outline steps that can be taken towards intervention and prevention, using a public health approach.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to

• Identify rape and other forms of sexual violence in the context of armed conflict as major public health problems, and
• Articulate educational and political approaches to intervention and prevention

Keywords: Sexual Assault, War

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.