Amid growing political and security challenges, sexual violence remains a tool of terrorism, torture, and war. Hate speech and sexual assault both online and offline, undermine women's and girls' participation in society and are a threat to democracy.          

"Conflict-related sexual violence" encompasses rape, sexual slavery, trafficking, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilization, forced marriage, and any other type of sexual violence that is directly or indirectly related to a conflict.        

Estimates state that for every conflict-related rape that is reported but 10–20 go unreported due to survivors' fear and cultural stigma.      

In 2015, the UN General Assembly declared June 19 "The International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict to honour victims and survivors", raise awareness and pay respects to those who have sacrificed their lives to fight against sexual harassment.          

In 2016, the Security Council recognized sexual assault as a terrorist strategy and declared that the victims of trafficking or sexual assault by terrorist organizations should be entitled to official redressal as victims of terrorism.