gender Flashcards
readings
cohen (2013) female rape in Sierra Leone
Karim (2017) female R.B. in post conflict Liberia
Schroeder & Powell (2017) female rep. in parliament and coup risk
cohen 2013
Studies whether female soldiers perpetrated rape alongside their male counterparts in sierra leone
Also found evidence in : DRC, liberia, haiti, rwanda
Second ever survey to ask the sex of the perpetrator
why do these women rape?
Same reasons why men do it, social pressure and gang rape creates bonds between fighters
traditional argument
Women are less violent
The presence of female combatants makes rape less likely
Perpetrators should be almost entirely male
Men feel shame committing SA in front of women
Substitution argument:
The presence of female combatants reduces the ‘need’ for rape of non-combatants
E.g. sen in the forced partnerships of combatants in the lord’s resistance army in Uganda
Therefore groups with more female combatants should have less rape of non-combatants but more with combatants
Selection argument:
Violent people join the army to commit acts without the constraints of peacetime
Especially in insurgent groups with access to material resources
Combatant socialisation argument:
Rape and gang rape creates loyalty and friendship among strangers who may feel fear and mistrust toward one another in the beginning
Brutal violence integrates new members and maintains social order among existing members
Makes it more difficult for fighters to desert
Collective responsibility
Forcibly recruited combatants are more likely to perpetrate
Traditional argument is insufficient:
Women are just as/more violent
Why? Compete for status and recognition
Men act more aggressively in front of women
Women in combat has a positive effect on sexual violence
¼ of rape incidences in sierra leone was by mixed-sex groups
Substitution argument is insufficient:
Assumes that sexual gratification was the purpose of rape
RUF had the most sexual slavery and female combatants, but also the most non-combatant rape
Selection argument is insufficient:
Most of the soldiers didnt join voluntarily
Those who did weren’t offered sex in return for their service
Combatant socialisation argument is sufficient:
Evidence for rape being a method of intra group acceptance
Admiration of perpetrators - “strong and virile warriors”
RUF were more likely to stay in touch after the war
Social cohesion through gang rape
Potential other explanation for female rape:
Encouragement of the rape of non combatants may have made female combatants safer from sexual violence
Karim (2017)
Female ratio balancing in the seecurity sector has a positive impact ono confidence in institutions and peacekeeeping transitions - examined in post conflict liberia
Civilan confidence in domestic institutions is necessary for
ong term stability, state consolidation and the withdrawal of third parties e.g. UN
Especially important in societies with a high level of ex combatants
Security sector
organisations that have the authority, capacity and/or ordeers to us eforce,threat of force to protect state/civilians
Reform
institutional changee that may restor order and neutralise non-legal, non statutory insurgents
Solve the commitment dilemma
reform the security sector as a weak state cannot punish those who renege on commitments
reforms to address state mistrust
restrain states ability to forcibly extract resources from civilians, resulting in less exploitation and abuse, ones that are inclusive to address those who were harmed by the state
Most effective way to demonstrate these reforms is
a change in the demographic composition of the security forces
Female ratio balancing is the most salient UN policy toward post conflict reconstruction
gender quota in Liberian national police
30%
example of f.r.b. not working
Number of women killed after integration into the Afghan police force
When f.r.b. does work:
Women use less force
Better at diffusing conflict
Perception that they are less likely to use force
“More restrained”
Females can address the trust and security gap in
domestic abuse cases, rape and conflict resolution
