war and armed conflict have a unique and disproportionate impact on women and girls.

Discrimination based on sex is only permissible if the impact is expected to be favorable. The four 1949 Geneva Convention and its two 1977 Additional Protocols establish a system of equal treatment where there can be no discrimination amongst civilians, prisoners, displaced persons, special persons, the wounded, the sick, the shipwrecked, or persons liable for punishments. “Persons taking no active part in hostilities, must in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, color, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or similar criteria.”

The general provision of Geneva Convention Common Article 3 states this fact in the following words: Theoretically, women benefit from all provisions of IHL. Their special protection is mainly concerned with their role as mothers (pregnant mothers, nursing mothers, and mothers with young children) and the need to protect them from sexual violence. While all provisions are meant to apply to both men and women equally, the first four 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols contain some forty-two articles explicitly dealing with protections afforded to women. The foundation of IHL is the 1949 Geneva Convention and its 1977 Additional Protocols, as well as other international treaties, customary international law, and general law principles. Lastly, I will consider possible remedies to improve the overall protection offered to women rights in conflict zones under IHL. I will further discuss issues with the current provisions and how they may fall short in understanding the complexity of women’s experiences in conflict zones. In this article, I will discuss the general and special protections offered to women under IHL and analyse their effectiveness in protecting women from wartime atrocities. 2022 In times of conflict, IHL provides women with general protection as civilians, and special protections, which consider that women may be specifically vulnerable to particular kinds of violence. 2 “What Is International Humanitarian Law?” International Committee of the Red Cross, 5 Apr. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) has sought to provide a comprehensive framework to limit the harms of armed conflict experienced by all who are not, or are no longer, participating in hostilities.

Women’s Rights in Armed Conflict under International Law. Research suggests that women suffer disproportionately more consequences of war than men and constitute a significant proportion of civilians severely affected by war.

It is widely understood that war exacerbates societal inequalities, leaving marginalised groups more vulnerable than ever.

War and armed conflict have a unique and disproportionate impact on women and girls.