Militarism and ViolenceAgainst Women

The 'Other' TerrorismLucinda Marshall University of Dayton April, 2010

“While bullets, bombs and blades make the headlines,women’s bodies remain invisible battlefields.--Margot Wallström, U.N. Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict

Defining Commonalities BetweenMilitarism and Violence Against

Women• The need to assert power

(over)

• Sense of entitlement -- Mightmakes right

• Desire for control anddomination

• Othering

"I was raped by them in front of my husband.They held him down while they did it. I wasreleased afterwards because my husbandand children pleaded with them, and criedsaying "They will kill maman." I was raped bymore than three men. I cannot remember theexact number because I lost consciousness.Afterwards a neighbor helped me, because Iwas bleeding. She boiled water and someherbs for me.”

(Human Rights Watch interview, Bukavu,October 16, 2003)

Rape/Sexual Assault

Sexual Slavery/Trafficking

Forced Marriages andPregnancies

Femicide

The Impact of Othering As A Toolof Militarism

• Rwanda Genocide--As many as 500,000women raped

• 64,000 women raped during conflict inSierra Leone

• 40,000 women raped in Bosnia/Herzogovina

• 4,500 Rapes in just 6 months in one provinceof the DRC

• Hundreds of women raped every day inDarfur

The Numbers Speak ForThemselves

Human RightsWatch, December8, 2009:

Afghan women areamong the worstoff in the world,violence againstthem is “endemic”and Afghanistan’sgovernment failsto protect themfrom crimes suchas rape andmurder.

Afghanistan

Iraq

Sexual Assault in the U.S.Military

Situations of armed conflict consistently andsystematically attack the integrity and livesof women and girls around the world whoexperience violence first hand. Theirvulnerability increases with situations ofpoverty, neglect, and lack of opportunities.The escalating trends of sex trafficking inthe context of armed conflict are a persistentsymptom of war, where the practice offorced prostitution is widespread andnourished by the different repercussions ofwar on women.

--MADRE

Sexual Victimization ofCivilians by the U.S. Military

“Our drill instructor explained how the M-16 was like awoman:front sight assembly - teatmagazine well - vaginatrigger - clitorisI particularly liked his admonition to learn to stroke herrear (charging handle) with authority.”

"This is my rifle, this is my gun. This is forshooting, this is for fun."

Why it is SO Difficult to End theProblem of Sexual Assault in the

U.S. Military

"After raping her they killed her byshooting into her vagina. No action wastaken."

-- The Karen Women's Organization(KWO), "State of Terror: the ongoingrape, murder, torture and forced laborsuffered by women living under theBurmese Military Regime in Karen State(February 2007)

The Global Dimension of Militarismand Violence Against Women

Changing The Paradigm

CEDAW

UNSCR 1325

UNSCR 1820

ICC

I-VAWA

What WE Can Do

1. Make ViolenceAgainst Womenpart of the PeaceAgenda

2. Change theparadigm of howwe define power.

http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/about/lucinda-marshall/presentations/

and more information can be found at:

http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/facts-about-vaw/militarism-and-violence-against-women/

by Lucinda Marshall, Director--Feminist Peace Networkwww.feministpeacenetwork.orgwww.facebook.com/feministpeacenetworkwww.twitter.com/fempeaceLucindaMarshall@feministpeacenetwork.org

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