Whilst sexual violence against men in armed conflicts has long been marginalized in research and policy, the recognition that it is far more widespread than previously understood is slowly gaining ground. Based on research carried out in Uganda in 2015, this article explores how a group of male refugee survivors of sexual violence have been able to organize, heal and become activists, and reflects on how we should understand and engage with this struggle. We hear how these men have begun to heal through mutual support and politicized collective action, and how humanitarian organizations and service providers can play crucial roles in support. The authors call for: challenging binary views of gender that permeate much current policy; developing open-ended, survivor-driven psycho-social support models; and supporting refugee male survivors’ activism through action research into advocacy and global networking strategy, to continue destabilizing the silence over male victimization in conflict-related sexual violence. © The Author(s) 2018.

Gender violence Conflict related violence Male survivors Male refugees Men Sexual violence response refugee activism Victims of sexual violence masculinities

gender issue refugee advocacy sexual violence Uganda action research social conflict