‘Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict’ is the UK’s first major exhibition dedicated to highlighting sexual violence in conflict, shedding light on the pervasive and devasting nature of sexual violence in conflict. Unsilenced features case studies from the First World War to today, examining how and why sexual violence is perpetrated, its impact on victims and survivors and the pursuit of justice and reconciliation.
Dr Zeynep Kaya has advised the curator team since early 2024, throughout the exhibition preparation and development process.
Zeynep said ‘I work on gender in conflict-affected contexts. As part of this research, I carried out research on sexual violence in conflict in the case of Yezidi community, a religious minority group in the north of Iraq, who experienced sexual violence and genocidal mass killings at the hands of IS in 2014-2017. Working on the exhibition ‘Unsilenced’ was an illuminating experience. I not only became aware of lots of other cases of sexual violence in history but also had insights into how the subject is approached by archivists and historians. Unsilenced is a valuable exhibition drawing attention to a mostly overlooked aspect of conflict. It is a important contribution to raising awareness on the historical prevalence of sexual violence in conflict and the many different forms it takes.’
Helen Upcraft, exhibition curator at the Imperial War Museum, has recognised Zeynep’s contribution to the exhibition, "On behalf of the exhibition team, I wanted to thank you again for your help and support over the last few months. I really appreciate your guidance during our advisory panel meetings, you always explained things in a clear and concise way, allowing us to understand where we needed to broaden our thinking or provide additional interpretation. I’m also really grateful for you taking part in the introduction and outro films. Your responses make up a key part of both films, and we’ve received some really positive feedback from visitors about how useful these films are."
The 'Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict' exhibition continues at the Imperial War Museum until 2 November 2025.