aming wartime rape in this way thus promises change and emancipation along a sure teleological trajectory, which meets the urgency that our newly acquired awareness of rape as ‘planned and orchestrated as a tactic of war’

The researchers found that the soldiers' accounts of rape did not fit with the dominant "Rape as a Weapon of War" frame, and instead, they spoke about rationales for rape that did not coincide with strategic purposes.

his discourse frames rape as a strategic and systematic tactic used to achieve military and political goals, rather than as a result of individual deviance or sexual desire.

military is a key institution where boys and men learn to embody a particular form of masculinity that celebrates violence, order, and domination. This process involves the breaking down of the civilian identity and the building up of a macho soldier identity, which is associated with heterosexual masculinity. In contrast, women and femininity are stereotypically associated with peacefulness, life-giving, and a need for protection. This dichotomy renders women and girls vulnerable to rape in conflict and post-conflict settings. Rape is often used as a weapon of war to punish, humiliate, or torture women who are perceived as challenging traditional notions of femininity and masculinity. It is also used to destroy the fabric of society by targeting women who are seen as bearers of ethno-national identity. The rape of "enemy" women is a way to feminize and humiliate the enemy, and it is often used as a means to destroy the enemy's sense of masculinity and identity.

sexual violence is framed in the global policy debate, with rape now understood as a strategy or tactic of war that can be prevented or limited.