Rape as a Weapon of War: Historical and Theoretical Insights from Susan Brownmiller's Against Our Will

This study explores the history of rape as a weapon of war and the causes that are perpetuating rape as a tool of oppression. This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of rape to subjugate women in conflicts and genocides. The thorough examination of wartime rape and its consequences on the victims reveal the motivations behind these barbaric acts and their broader consequences for gender relations and power politics. Central to this analysis is Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape, a feminist bible that offers crucial insights into the pervasive nature of sexual violence in war and conflicts and its underlying causes. This research emphasizes how acknowledging and documenting the historical recurrence of war rape and forced impregnation can contribute to preventing such atrocities in future and ensuring justice for survivors in the present. The study of Brownmiller’s work is essential to confront these harrowing acts and ensure that such crimes are never repeated.