Like all human rights abuses in Burundi, rape has become an entrenched feature of the crisis because the perpetrators have largely not been brought to justice. The scale of rape indicates a deliberate strategy by belligerents to use rape and other forms of sexual violence against women as a weapon of war. Rape has, however, also been exacerbated by widespread discrimination against women and its consequences have been aggravated by poverty, internal displacement and a failing health system.
