State violence against women

Violence against women by government agents
State-sanctioned gender-based violence
Government-perpetrated sexual violence
Militarized sexual violence
Violence against women by state representatives

Nature

State violence against women is a pervasive and systemic issue that manifests in various forms, including physical, psychological, sexual, and economic harm inflicted or condoned by government authorities. This violence can occur through direct actions by law enforcement, military personnel, and other state actors, or through institutional neglect and discriminatory policies that fail to protect women from harm. In many societies, women face targeted repression, including wrongful imprisonment, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings, particularly when they challenge authoritarian rule, advocate for human rights, or belong to marginalized communities. Additionally, state institutions may enable violence against women by failing to investigate or prosecute perpetrators, fostering a culture of impunity. Legal frameworks that criminalize reproductive rights, restrict freedom of expression, or force women into exploitative conditions further perpetuate structural violence. In conflict zones, women are often subjected to sexual violence as a weapon of war, while in peacetime, they may suffer abuse in detention centers or under the guise of public morality enforcement. The normalization of gender-based oppression within state structures not only silences victims but also entrenches gender inequality, making justice elusive and reinforcing cycles of violence that impact entire societies for generations.

Background

Sexual violence has been documented as a weapon of war in various conflicts, often used systematically to terrorize, displace, and exert control over communities. In the Bosnian War (1992–1995), reports from the United Nations and international human rights organizations confirmed the existence of 'rape camps' where sexual violence was used as a tool of ethnic cleansing, leading to war crimes prosecutions by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, extensive reports, including from Amnesty International, indicate that rape was used as a strategy of war by members of the Pakistani military and allied militias, with an estimated hundreds of thousands of Bengali women affected. In Peru's internal conflict (1980–2000), both state forces and insurgent groups such as the Shining Path were reported to have used sexual violence as a form of torture and intimidation, as documented by Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Incidence

In conflict zones, sexual violence is frequently used as a weapon of war, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of women in these regions. For instance, In Sudan, reports have documented widespread sexual violence perpetrated by armed groups, with numerous cases of rape and assault against women and girls. A United Nations fact-finding mission revealed that victims ranged from 8 to 75 years old, with the majority of sexual violence attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias.

In Afghanistan, since the Taliban's takeover in 2021, there have been over 300 reported cases of femicide, with many more likely unreported due to media restrictions and repression.

In the United Kingdom, a report by the National Audit Office highlighted that violence against women and girls affects one in 12 women in England and Wales, with sexual assaults increasing and domestic abuse reports slightly decreasing. The report criticizes the inefficacy and disjointed efforts in tackling this issue, underscoring the need for a coordinated, whole-system approach led by the Home Office to make meaningful progress.

In the U.S., state-sanctioned violence against Black women takes many forms, including police brutality, mass incarceration, and systemic neglect. Since 2015, law enforcement has killed at least 48 Black women, yet charges were filed in only two cases. Black women face incarceration at twice the rate of white women, comprising nearly 30% of the female prison population despite making up just 13% of the U.S. female population. A 2015 study found that they account for over 30% of police sexual assault victims, a disproportionate figure given their population size. Additionally, although Black women represent about 14% of the U.S. population, they constitute more than 35% of missing women cases, often receiving little media coverage or police attention.

Claim

State violence against women is not a series of isolated incidents—it is a deeply entrenched system of oppression perpetuated by governments worldwide. Whether through police brutality, wrongful incarceration, or the weaponization of laws that restrict reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, the state actively reinforces gendered violence. Women are beaten, raped, imprisoned, and murdered, often with complete impunity. When those in power either commit or enable such atrocities, justice becomes a fantasy, and oppression remains a brutal reality. The silence and inaction of governments prove that state violence against women is not a failure of the system—it is the system.

Governments that claim to protect human rights are often the very institutions violating them. From war zones where state-backed soldiers use rape as a weapon, to detention centers where women face torture and sexual abuse, the state is a primary enforcer of gender-based violence. Even in so-called democracies, police routinely assault, harass, and kill women with little to no accountability. The legal system, designed to uphold justice, often shields perpetrators and criminalizes victims instead. If the state cannot protect women from violence, or worse, if it is the source of that violence, then it has lost all legitimacy.

Women across the world are brutalized by their own governments, yet international leaders remain complicit in their suffering. From Iran’s morality police executing women for “immodesty” to U.S. law enforcement’s deadly force against Black women, the state’s war on women knows no borders. Legal systems systematically fail survivors, and courts uphold policies that control women’s bodies rather than protect them. The reality is clear: state violence against women is a global human rights emergency, yet world leaders treat it as an afterthought. Until governments are held accountable, women will continue to suffer, die, and disappear while those in power look the other way.

Counter-claim

The idea that governments systematically target women with violence is an exaggerated and misleading narrative pushed by activists with a political agenda. While instances of misconduct by law enforcement or military personnel do occur, these are not representative of state policies or actions. In fact, legal systems in most countries provide protections for women and actively prosecute those who commit crimes against them. If violence occurs, it is the result of individual bad actors—not an orchestrated effort by the state. Spreading the idea of "state violence against women" only fuels unnecessary division and distracts from more pressing issues affecting society as a whole.

The notion that state violence against women is a widespread crisis ignores the progress made in legal protections, representation, and law enforcement reforms worldwide. Women today have unprecedented rights, from equal pay laws to domestic violence protections, and are actively encouraged to pursue leadership roles in politics, law enforcement, and the judiciary. Rather than being victims of systemic oppression, women are more protected and empowered than ever before. The push to frame governments as oppressors disregards the legal safeguards in place and unfairly demonizes institutions designed to maintain law and order.

Singling out women as victims of state violence ignores the broader reality of crime and policing. Law enforcement exists to maintain order and protect all citizens, not to target specific groups. Men, in fact, are far more likely to be victims of police brutality and excessive force, yet their suffering is rarely framed as a gendered issue. The claim that women are uniquely oppressed by the state distorts the true nature of law enforcement and the challenges governments face in maintaining security. If activists truly care about justice, they should focus on improving law enforcement for everyone, rather than pushing a divisive and misleading gendered narrative.