Putting Reproductive Violence on the Agenda: A Case Study of the Yazidis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Reproductive violence has been documented in many conflicts, even though it may not have been labelled as such. Nevertheless, there is no established definition of reproductive violence in international criminal law and practice. While acts of reproductive violence have been prosecuted as crimes against humanity, there have not yet been any successful international prosecutions as genocide. This article will use the 2014 genocide against the Yazidis as a case study to examine the knowledge and accountability gaps that arise from the lack of definition of reproductive violence in the current state of play. It argues that formally defining reproductive violence is important not just for fair labelling and to fulfil the principle of legality but, most importantly, from the perspective of the victims, to accurately characterize the full nature of the harm inflicted on them.