Consolidating International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law: Protection from Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Non-International Armed Conflict

Academic discussion on the adequacy of international law, in particular international humanitarian law (IHL), to protect women from and to respond to gender-based violence against women (GBVAW) has so far omitted a detailed discussion on the law applicable in non-international armed conflict (NIAC). This article reviews the scope of international law, in particular IHL applicable to NIAC and international human rights law (IHRL), on the protection of women from GBVAW, firstly aiming to fill this lacuna in the literature on GBVAW and secondly in an examination as to whether the law on GBVAW in NIAC adequately protects women from GBVAW in NIAC. This analysis is performed distinctly for sexual violence, non-sexual violence, and women in detention. In applying the substance of the law regarding GBVAW under IHL and IHRL to the legal framework on the mutual application of IHL and IHRL in armed conflict, this article finds that IHL applicable to NIAC and IHRL generally may be interpreted harmoniously in substance regarding sexual violence and partially on non-sexual violence and detention. The consolidation of these regimes thus in theory results in a stronger and wider scope of protection from GBVAW. However, this protection may be limited in practice due to challenges in meeting due diligence in conflict and limited human rights responsibility for non-State parties to the conflict.