Amnesty International says women and girls are being targeted in conflicts around the world while the authorities do little or nothing to prevent it.

In a report called Lives Blown Apart, the organisation says these crimes persist because those who commit them know prosecutions are rare.

Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls, Amnesty says.

The human rights group says its investigations have found that violence against women is not just a by-product of war, but often a deliberate military strategy, with women particularly targeted in ethnic cleansing campaigns.

"By attacking the women you are attacking the honour of your enemy, you demoralise the men, you scare people into running away," she said.

"It's a very effective weapon, because the communities are totally destroyed."

The question is whether those in conflict zones who use rape in war will be deterred.

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