An important and difficult exhibition has opened at the IWM addressing the use of rape as a weapon of war. This rare candor reflects a shift from ignorance to awareness of how sexual violence has been historically overlooked in discussions of wartime abuses. The exhibition presents various aspects of women's suffering in conflicts, showcasing propaganda and documents from WWII, such as the sexual assault of two million German women by Soviet forces. It underlines the historical treatment of sexual violence as a crime, and continues to stress the critical need for recognition of all victims, including men.
"It's a difficult exhibition as it's a topic that is and should be uncomfortable and is something we instinctively shy away from learning too much about."
"As the exhibition explains, it's estimated that some two million German women were raped in just a few months of 1945 when the Soviet army occupied the country."
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