Women and girls bear the brunt of armed conflicts fought today both as direct targets and as unrecognized "collateral damage". 'Lives Blown Apart' a new report in Amnesty International's campaign, Stop Violence Against Women, calls for global action to challenge both the violence and the failure of governments to prevent it. "Patterns of violence against women in conflict do not arise 'naturally' but are ordered, condoned or tolerated. They persist because those who commit them know they can get away with impunity," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. The report says the International Criminal Court must be allowed to act effectively and deliver justice to women and girls. "If the Security Council is serious about ending violence against women in conflict it can refer cases to the ICC, when governments fail to do so."