Within patriarchal structures, women are often considered as embodiments of the honor of the whole community. Accordingly, in times of ethnic, religious or other violent conflict, they become major targets. Rape has always been a potent weapon of war in humiliating and emasculating the enemy. This Factsheet provides a glimpse into the magnitude and nature of the sexual violence that was unleashed during the Partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947 and the issues that germinated from it.