Women, peace and intervention: how the international community responds to sexual violence in civil conflict. Issue 3 (2nd September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kreutz, Joakim; Cardenas, Magda
• Is Part Of: Canadian foreign policy. Volume 23:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 260
• Page End: 276
• Publication Date: 2017-09-02
• Subjects: Intervention -- United Nations -- regional organizations -- civil conflict -- sexual violence; Canada -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; 327.71005
• DOI: 10.1080/11926422.2017.1343197
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1192-6422

Abstract

ABSTRACT: To end sexual violence in civil conflict is often mentioned as motivation and aim for contemporary interventions by the international community. But what types of measures are used for this end? This study identifies two competing logics that motivate different types of measures depending on whether women's security is viewed as part of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine, or as a separate policy field: More Women, More Peace. According to the first, women are viewed as victims and interventions are likely to be punitive in nature, to provide protection and punish perpetrators. The second sees the problem as women's exclusion from power and lack of agency, and will more likely be followed by measures that promote participation such as mediation and peacekeeping. Following a global analysis of civil conflicts 1989–2009, we find that both the United Nations and regional organizations deploy peacekeepers to conflicts with high prevalence of sexual violence. We also find different patterns of intervention for sexual violence than for other forms of civilian abuse, suggesting limited linkages between the Responsibility to Protect and Women, Peace and Security agendas.