SV against Women

Wartime Sexual Violence in Guatemala and Peru*

Citation:

Leiby, Michele L. 2009. “Wartime Sexual Violence in Guatemala and Peru*.” International Studies Quarterly 53 (2): 445–68.

Author: Michele L. Leiby

Abstract:

This article is a comparative analysis of sexual violence perpetrated by state armed forces during the Guatemalan and Peruvian civil wars. Focusing on the type of violation and the context in which it occurs provides new insights into the motives behind its use in war. It introduces a new data set on sexual violence compiled from truth commission documents and nongovernmental human rights organizations’ reports. The data reveal that members of the state armed forces perpetrated the majority of sexual violations, that rape and gang rape are the most frequent but not the only abuses committed, and that women are the overwhelming majority of victims of sexual violence. Aggregate patterns suggest that state authorities must have known of mass sexual abuse and failed to act in accordance with international law. Moreover, some evidence suggests sexual violence is used as a weapon of war. However, mono-causal models cannot sufficiently account for the variation and complexity in its use. Even within the same conflict, sexual violence can serve multiple functions in different contexts and at different points in time.

Topics: Armed Conflict, Civil Wars, International Law, Justice, TRCs, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Militaries, Sexual Violence, Rape, SV against Women Regions: Americas, Central America, South America Countries: Guatemala, Peru

Year: 2009

Enhancing the Quality of Survey Data on Violence Against Women: A Feminist Approach

Citation:

Smith, Michael D. 1994. “Enhancing the Quality of Survey Data on Violence Against Women: A Feminist Approach.” Gender and Society 8 (1): 109-27.

Author: Michael D. Smith

Abstract:

A major methodological problem in victimization surveys on physical and sexual violence against women is the underreporting of violence. The first part of this article makes a case for 6 feminist strategies for improving the accuracy of self-report data on victimization within a mainstream survey research framework. The second part of the article is a presentation of data from a survey of Toronto women that is designed to show the efficacy of these feminist strategies.

Topics: Feminisms, Gender, Women, Gender-Based Violence, Sexual Violence, SV against Women

Year: 1994

Does the Presence of Women Really Matter? Towards Combating Male Sexual Violence in Peacekeeping Operations

Citation:

Simic, Olivera. 2010. “Does the Presence of Women Really Matter? Towards Combating Male Sexual Violence in Peacekeeping Operations.” International Peacekeeping (13533312) 17 (2): 188–199.

Author: Olivera Simic

Abstract:

Women are being encouraged to join peacekeeping operations as sexual violence problem-solving forces while simultaneously undertaking a complex role as ‘protectors’ of local women from local men and male peacekeepers. Since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 in 2000, the UN has urged states to deploy more women. Among the implicit assumptions underlying these calls are that an increase in the representation of women in peacekeeping operations (PKOs) will lead to a decrease in the cases of HIV/AIDS, a decline in the number of brothels around peacekeeping bases, and a reduction in the number of babies fathered and abandoned by peacekeepers after their mission comes to an end. Evidence suggests that the presence of women peacekeepers can and does foster a change in male behaviour when women are deployed in PKOs. This article argues, however, that countering abuse should not be a substitute for the more encompassing goal of improving gender balance and equality in PKOs. While there is a need to combat sexual violence in PKOs, the responsibility for prevention should be on troop-contributing countries, which need to exercise accountability and prosecute sexual violence committed by their peacekeepers. Diverting responsibility to women does not address the problem of sexual violence in PKOs, or help eradicate its causes.

Topics: Gender, Women, Gender Balance, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, International Organizations, Peacekeeping, UN Security Council Resolutions on WPS, UNSCR 1325, Sexual Violence, Male Perpetrators, SV against Women

Year: 2010

The Gendering of Human Rights: Women and the Latin American Terrorist State

Citation:

Hollander, Nancy Caro. 1996. “The Gendering of Human Rights: Women and the Latin American Terrorist State.” Feminist Studies 22 (1): 40–80.

Author: Nancy Caro Hollander

Topics: Gender, Women, Governance, Health, Trauma, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Militaries, Militarization, Rights, Human Rights, Sexual Violence, Rape, SV against Women, Terrorism Regions: Americas, Central America, South America Countries: Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala

Year: 1996

Violence Against Women, Sex Industry and The Business of United Nations Peace Operations

Citation:

Punyarut, Nunlada. 2006. “Violence Against Women, Sex Industry and The Business of United Nations Peace Operations.” Thai Journal of Public Administration 4 (1–2549): 81–99.

Author: Nunlada Punyarut

Topics: Gender, Women, Gender-Based Violence, International Organizations, Livelihoods, Sexual Livelihoods, Peacekeeping, Sexual Violence, SV against Women, Trafficking, Sex Trafficking Regions: Asia, Southeast Asia Countries: Thailand

Year: 2006

Congo Ceasefire Brings Little Relief for Women

Citation:

Truscott, Amanda. 2008. “Congo Ceasefire Brings Little Relief for Women.” CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 179 (2): 133–4.

Author: Amanda Truscott

Topics: Gender, Women, Gender-Based Violence, Health, Reproductive Health, Trauma, Sexual Violence, Male Perpetrators, Rape, SV against Women Regions: Africa, Central Africa Countries: Congo-Brazzaville

Year: 2008

Prevalence of War-Related Sexual Violence and Other Human Rights Abuses Among Internally Displaced Persons in Sierra Leone

Citation:

Amowitz, Lynn L., Chen Reis, Kristina Hare Lyons, Beth Vann, Binta Mansaray, Adyinka Akinsulure-Smith, Louise Taylor, and Vincent Iacopino. 2002. “Prevalence of War-Related Sexual Violence and Other Human Rights Abuses Among Internally Displaced Persons in Sierra Leone.” JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 287 (4): 513-21.

Authors: Lynn L. Amowitz, Chen Reis, Kristina Hare Lyons, Beth Vann, Binta Mansaray, Adyinka Akinsulure-Smith, Louise Taylor, Vincent Iacopino

Abstract:

Context: Sierra Leone's decade-long conflict has cost tens of thousands of lives and all parties to the conflict have committed abuses.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and impact of war-related sexual violence and other human rights abuses among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sierra Leone.

Design and Setting: A cross-sectional, randomized survey, using structured interviews and questionnaires, of internally displaced Sierra Leone women who were living in 3 IDP camps and 1 town, which were conducted over a 4-week period in 2001.

Participants: A total of 991 women provided information on 9166 household members. The mean (SE) age of the respondents was 34 (0.48) years (range, 14-80 years). The majority of the women sampled were poorly educated (mean [SE], 1.9 [0.11] years of formal education); 814 were Muslim (82%), and 622 were married (63%).

Main Outcome Measures: Accounts of war-related sexual assault and other human rights abuses.

Results: Overall, 13% (1157) of household members reported incidents of war-related human rights abuses in the last 10 years, including abductions, beatings, killings, sexual assaults and other abuses. Ninety-four (9%) of 991 respondents and 396 (8%) of 5001 female household members reported war-related sexual assaults. The lifetime prevalence of non–war-related sexual assault committed by family members, friends, or civilians among these respondents was also 9%, which increased to 17% with the addition of war-related sexual assaults (excluding 1% of participants who reported both war-related and non–war-related sexual assault). Eighty-seven percent of women believed that there should be legal protection for women's human rights. More than 60% of respondents believed that a man has a right to beat his wife if she disobeys, and that it is a wife's duty/obligation to have sex with her husband even if she does not want to.

Conclusions: Sexual violence committed by combatants in Sierra Leone was widespread and was perpetrated in the context of a high level of human rights abuses against the civilian population.

Topics: Armed Conflict, Combatants, Male Combatants, Displacement & Migration, IDPs, Gender, Women, Rights, Human Rights, Sexual Violence, SV against Women Regions: Africa, West Africa Countries: Sierra Leone

Year: 2002

Reproductive Health Concerns in Six Conflict-Affected Areas of Sri Lanka

Citation:

Kottegoda, Sepali, Kumudini Samuel, and Sarala Emmanuel. 2008. “Reproductive Health Concerns in Six Conflict-Affected Areas of Sri Lanka.” Reproductive Health Matters 16 (31): 75–82.

Authors: Sepali Kottegoda, Kumudini Samuel , Sarala Emmanuel

Abstract:

This article draws on a study conducted by the Women and Media Collective between 2004 and 2005 to highlight some of the reproductive health concerns of women from Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim ethnic groups, living in situations of conflict in Sri Lanka. The study focused on women from six conflict-affected areas in the north and east of the country: Jaffna (Northern Province), Mannar and Puttalam (North-Western Province), Polonnaruwa (North-Central Province), Batticaloa and Ampara (Eastern Province). Higher levels of poverty, higher rates of school drop-out, low pay and precarious access to work, mainly in the informal sector, higher rates of early marriage, pregnancy and home births, higher levels of maternal mortality and lower levels of contraceptive use were found. Economic, social and physical insecurity were key to these phenomena. Physically and psychologically, women were at a high risk of sexual and physical violence, mainly from their partners/spouses but also from family members, often related to dowry. The article brings out the voices of women whose lives have been overshadowed by conflict and displacement, and the nature of structural barriers that impede their right to health care services, to make informed decisions about their lives and live free of familial violence.

Keywords: conflict and crisis settings, maternity services, contraception and unwanted pregnancy, gender-based violence, Sri Lanka

Topics: Armed Conflict, Displacement & Migration, Gender, Women, Gender-Based Violence, Health, Mental Health, Reproductive Health, Sexual Violence, SV against Women Regions: Asia, South Asia Countries: Sri Lanka

Year: 2008

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict Contexts: Canadian Efforts and Experiences

Citation:

Kirk, Jackie, and Suzanne Taylor. 2006. “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict Contexts: Canadian Efforts and Experiences.” Canadian Woman Studies 25 (1/2): 139–44.

Authors: Jackie Kirk, Suzanne Taylor

Abstract:

Recent years have seen violent conflicts shattering the lives of people around the world, causing death and injury, displacement from their homes, disruption of economic and other activities, and creating fear and insecurity on a large scale. Unlike the wars of previous centuries, conflict is now fought in communities, in the streets, homes, and workplaces of ordinary civilians. Increasingly it is acknowledged that in these contexts, women, girls, boys, and men experience conflict differently. Although more men and boys are killed in conflict, the impacts for women and girls are also brutal, as ethnic hatred, oppression and intolerance are being played out on their bodies. Sexual violence has become part and parcel of the havoc wreaked by fighting forces on women and girls within their own ranks, as well as on women and girls of the “other” side. During the genocide in Rwanda, for example, tens of thousands of women were raped, many of whom were also infected with HIV/AIDS; very few of these women have had any legal redress (Human Rights Watch 2004). Although such conflicts take place far from Canada and in apparently very different contexts, Canada nonetheless has an important role to play in ending violence against girls and women in conflict contexts. Canadian government and civil society are actively engaged in various initiatives and on an international level, Canada is seen as a leader in the field. While this is an important issue for foreign policy, it is also an issue with domestic resonance and significance because of the refugee and immigrant women in Canada who have lived through such experiences. This article considers the role that Canada and Canadians play in reducing the devastating impacts of conflict on women and girls; it describes Canada’s relationship with the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on women, peace and security (and some of the ongoing activities of both government and civil society. The article ends by describing some of the gaps which still exist and some possible ways of addressing these in the future.

Topics: Armed Conflict, Civil Society, Gender, Women, Girls, Gender-Based Violence, Governance, Humanitarian Assistance, UN Security Council Resolutions on WPS, UNSCR 1325, Sexual Violence, Rape, SV against Women Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Canada

Year: 2006

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