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Rape as a war tactic
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War Rape as a Political Ends
The previous two paragraphs have outlined how rape as a weapon can be used to reinforce the masculinity of an armed force in several ways and the dominance of that force by relegating the opposing force to the feminine (Enole, 1998). This section of the essay will outline how this ideas come together to result in a political strategy (Buss, 20009, p.149). Rape in this context serves to achieve the political goal of ethnic cleansing or genocide (Kirby, 2012,p.12). While this section is looking at nationalist war it is also important to note that rape is used in a weapon in interstate wars too (Wood, 2010, p.125 and Pankhurst, 2010, p.151). Also important to note, is that rape as a weapon is not used in all wars that have an ethnic
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Rape as a weapon is not just a way to spur troops but also has a political objection, it is this objective and feminist international relation works makes the experience of war rape more visible in the international political sphere (Farwell, 2004, p.395). Ethnic cleansing can be defined as the intent to make an area ethnically homogeneous by eliminating member of the other ethnic group through systematic use of killings, violence, sexual violence, rape, intimidation, forced deportation (Biken and Bagge Laustsen, 2005, p.113). Therefore Rape in the context of a campaign of ethnic cleansing is done so to bring about the end of the
Stiglmayer, Alexandra. 1994. Mass Rape: The War against Women in Bosnia-herzegovina. Lincoln: university of Nebrask Press.
“‘Instrumental’ violence, however, murder for a purpose, - political power, rape, sadistic pleasure, robbery, or some other base gratification – remains the domain of the male. After all, every male is a potential killer in the form of a warrior – and he only becomes a murderer when he misuses his innate physical and socialized capacity to kill for ignoble, immoral, and impolitic reason. While the male is built and programmed to destroy, the female nests, creates, and nurtures. Or so the story goes”.
On September 5, 1995, Hillary Clinton delivered an influential speech at The Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Clinton expresses general concern over escalating violence toward women, in other word’s gendercide. “Gendercide refers to the systematic elimination of a specific gender group, normally female. It’s most common in India, China, and other regions in Southeast Asia” (GirlsKind Foundation). Crimes, such as bride trafficking, infanticide, abandonment, and dowry related murder; often take place within private households, going unnoticed and not even acknowledged. “Tragically, women are most often the ones whose human rights are violated. Even now, in the late 20th century, the rape of women continues to be used as an instrument of armed conflict Women and children make up a large majority of the world’s refugees” (Clinton 3). By addressing her speech in Beijing, where gendercide is prevalent, Hillary expressed her objective effectively not just the United Nations, but to audiences across the world. Clinton effectively delivered her speech by portraying her purpose for women to achieve equality and better opportunities, with ethical appeals, emotional appeals, and logical appeals.
In chapter 8 of Global Issues, Local Arguments, June Johnson exposes the concept that women are being used as a tactic and war as well as being sexually abused. In “Defending Human Rights: Human Trafficking, Forced Child Labor, and Rape as a Weapon of War, (384-439)”developing countries women are being treated unfairly as well having little say in the government leading to a delay in fixing the issue. Johnson also includes “Ten Radical Acts for Congo the New Year (434-41).” These issues were caused by the end of slavery and thus leading to people needing a new source of workers. The effects of the Ill treatment consist of children and women dying. Many stake holders to fixing the problem is to involve the women in the government. Unless stakeholders
Parrot is an expert in cultural practices and the risks encountered in attempting to change them. She is currently writing a book on the topic with Nina Cummings, health educator and victim advocate at Gannett University Health Services at Cornell. Forsaken Figures: The Global Brutalization, Oppression, and Violence against Women catalogues, describes, and analyzes all manner of violence, subjugation, and gendercide against women from a global perspective. Many practices and cultural norms around the world, such as female genital mutilation, sexual slavery, and feticide/infanticide of female babies, are perceived as wrong by outside cultures, Parrot says. She is interested in determining how outside policymakers might begin to address what they see as problems when their own cultural language is vastly different from that of the communities and countries in which the practices are tolerated or even supported.
This book gives a great overview of what rape is and how it affects women. It mentions how rape is a crime of violence and not a crime of passion. It also talks about how women deal with rape and how to help them. It also goes through the politic...
Rape and rape culture are very real and present problems with our post-secondary system. Not a day goes by without a new revelation, number or statistic coming to light. Not a day goes by without feminists screaming to “take back the night” and men’s rights advocates crying for sex. There probably isn’t a person in existence who doesn’t have an opinion on the issue. There is so much focus on it, millions of dollars going into solving it. So, now there is a question we must ask ourselves - why is none of it working? Why are rape numbers increasing, instead of the other way around? Rape numbers are not decreasing because no one wants to address the root causes of the issue. Universities and colleges don 't want to crack down on alcohol abuse
Zurbriggen, E. (). Rape, War, And The Socialization of Masculinity: Why Our Refusal To Give Up Was Ensures That Rape Cannot Be Eradicated. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34, 538-539
“The sweetly sickening odor of decomposing bodies hung over many parts of Rwanda in July 1994: . . . at Nyarubuye in eastern Rwanda, where the cadaver of a little girl, otherwise intact, had been flattened by passing vehicles to the thinness of cardboard in front of the church steps,” (Deforges 6). The normalcy of horrible images like this one had cast a depressing gloom over Rwanda during the genocide, a time when an extreme divide caused mass killings of Tutsi by the Hutu. Many tactics such as physical assault or hate propaganda are well known and often used during times of war. Sexual assault and rape, however, during times of war is an unspoken secret – it is well known that rape occurs within combat zones and occupied territories, but people tend to ignore, or even worse, not speak of the act. There have been recorded cases of rape and sexual assault in almost every war in human history. Genocidal rape was used as a gendered war tactic in the Rwandan genocide in order to accomplish the Hutu goal of elimination of the Tutsi people in whole, or part.
Rape is the unlawful compelling of a woman through physical force or duress to have sexual intercourse. According to the Sexual Assault Statistics “,only 16% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police department per year.” Women who are a victim of rape suffer a lifetime of fear, emotional stress and depression, but their rapist is sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison, depending on the severity of the case. After 25 years, Crista Stephens out of Houston, Texas can now speak about the night she was attacked and raped, but still, trembles every time she speaks her rapist name. Educating yourself, family, friends and peers can decrease your chances of being a victim of rape. Are 20 years long enough for a rapist to be behind
“An estimated 300,000 children serve as child soldiers around the world today. Their average age is 14. Forty percent of child soldiers are girls.” (Kozak, 2014). In many instances children are directly involved in the conflicts on the front lines. With technology advancing at a quick rate, weaponry is easy enough for a 10 year old girl to carry and operate. “In the past, children were not particularly effective as front-line fighters since most of the lethal hardware was too heavy and cumbersome for them to manipulate...a child with an assault rifle, a Soviet-made AK-47 or an American M-16, is a fearsome match for anyone,” (United Nations Children’s Fund, 1996). Direct involvement is not their only position. A common job is acting as a porter/messenger carrying many heavy loads all day, like weapons, ammunition, and injured fellow soldiers. Other jobs include lookouts, spies, cooks, etc. Children are also used to perform acts of terror towards their enemies. An example is a suicide bomber, a sort of ‘kamikaze’ as it were. Girls are extremely vulnerable in the regard that they are used as sex slaves and become ‘wives’ to the soldiers and commanders (United Nations,
Many of the attitudes, beliefs, and mistaken ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as “women ask for it,” and “women secretly enjoy rape,” from a historical perspective, can lead us for better understanding how they evolved. Much stems back to the idea that women are still seen as the property of men, and are protected as such. Men and women are still taught to occupy very different roles in today’s world. Men a...
Webster’s Dictionary describes rape as the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse. Rape is a crime in which most women cannot defend themselves. The fear of rape plagues every woman at some point or another in her life. The traumatic effects of rape vary from mild to severe, from psychological to physical. This paper will evaluate rape, as well as the effects it has on women, the theory behind male dominance and patriarchy, and differences in demographics.
The concept behind the word, action and idea of rape is a scary thought. Rape is defined as a type of sexual assault, usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person’s consent (Kelland, 2011). Rape is a demoralizing crime that can leave the victim with lasting negative psychological affects. This paper will discuss the different types of rape, the cause and effects with rape and the harm rape can cause to its victims.
The society we live in is rape-conducive, rape-friendly, if you will. Despite the anger I feel joining those two words together, I know the sad paradox holds within it a great deal of truth. We are a violent society that has shrouded rape in mystery and shame. To stop this nightmare’s venomous crusades, all people must wage a private war to eradicate their own acceptance of the savage crime. While it is only a minority of men that actually commit rape, it is everyone’s silence that tells them it’s ok.