Sexual Violence against Women in Africa's Wars and the International Response
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Date
2011
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Crawford Journal of Social Sciences
Abstract
Generally, women are victims of sexual violence in both peace and wartimes. However, an excruciating fact in most of Africa's wars is that women's bodies are turned into instruments of war. Sexual violence against women (as well as girls) is not limited to their egregious manipulation by warlords and other male combatants who exploit women and girls as sex slaves, war shields, charm neutralizers and combatants, but includes exploitation by state armed forces, international peacekeepers and other mission bodies for selfish interests such as 'sex for food' or 'sex for shelter' campaign. Either as perpetrators or victims in Africa's wars, women's bodies are violated in a gendered manner. Though the international community through the United Nations has been very responsive in combating this phenomenon, these responses are faced with several complexities ranging from inadequate understanding of the conceptual paradigm to implementation capacity, therefore, resulting in the increase in the perpetration of sexual violence in wars. What are these responses? Are these responses adequate in stemming the tide of sexual violence against women? This study concludes that measures to combat this phenomenon must consider all the peacetime factors throwing up sexual violence against women and girls in wars, the dynamics of the African cultural and political setting, and strengthening of punitive measures.