any sexual act performed on the victim without consent
Sexual violence can take the form of rape or sexual assault
Acts of sexual violence attack the right to sexual freedom, autonomy, control, integrity and security, as well as the right to experience pleasure and to have a healthy, safe and satisfying sexual life. At the same time, these rights are intimately related to reproductive rights, such as the freedom and autonomy to decide when to have children, how many children to have, and which contraceptive to use.
Examples of sexual violence include, but are not limited to, rape, date rape and marital rape.
European Institute for Gender Equality (2017). Glossary of definitions of rape, femicide and intimate partner violence