Attempts made by the international community to prevent conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) often rely on states to lead prevention and response mechanisms at a domestic level. All too often, however, it is state actors (in the form of the military) who are responsible for this very violence. Can states then actually play an effective role in preventing and responding to CRSV? This thesis examines the role of the state and its institutions in preventing and responding to CRSV in Myanmar. Most CRSV literature highlights gender inequality as an underlying cause of CRSV and addressing it requires a transformative approach that ensures institutional reform and the inclusion of women's agency. What is the role of the state in preventing and responding to CRSV in a domestic context where gender inequality is entrenched, and where the state armed forces are implicated in the violence? The Joint Communiqué (JC) is a strategic approach developed by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC) to stress the responsibility of states to effectively prevent and respond to CRSV by reforming institutional norms and practices. Myanmar was one of the countries that signed the JC with the OSRSG-SVC. This thesis investigates the role and capability of the state and its institutions to prevent and respond to CRSV in Myanmar as they implement the JC.