Militarism and Gender‐Based Violence

Abstract

The relationship between militarism and gender‐based violence is rooted in the gendered socialization of boys and girls. The militarization of masculinities and femininities begins at a young age, reinforcing a gendered division of power and labor and legitimizing the use of political violence. In conflict zones, political violence is often accompanied by gender‐based violence, including sexual assault, rape, sexual slavery, human trafficking, and intimate‐partner violence. Higher rates of violence against women can be found in militarized societies, especially during and in the aftermath of wars. Militaristic interpretations of “national security” and the massive presence of armed military and police personnel paradoxically heighten the sense of insecurity of both women and minority groups. Though women have led peace movements and anti‐militarism efforts, new evidence suggests that under some circumstances some women may take part in male‐led sexualized violence against noncombatants. The United Nations and other human rights organizations have long been concerned with the situation of women in armed conflict. Multiple UN resolutions and special reports, culminating in UNSCR 1325, suggest that the increased participation of women at all levels of the political system may contribute to peacebuilding and reduce the rate of gender‐based violence.

Feminist Semiotics of “Safe”: Intimate Violence in the Time of Pandemic

“…Various studies have shown that militarism bears material and discursive facets that foster or exacerbate violence against women, reinforce prevailing gendered division, and correlate with higher gender inequality in terms of health, education, political representation, and labor force participation (Bradley, 2018;Elveren & Moghadam, 2022;Enloe, 2014;Sharoni, 2016). In the field of security studies in particular, feminist approaches challenge mainstream distinctions between state, military and society; underlining the downplaying or disregard of non-military threats such as domestic politics, global warming and non-state actors; and highlighting the neglect of women's pervasive insecurities (Adelman, 2017;Hudson, 2016;Pain, 2014).…”

“…Moreover, in the context of the pandemic, staying at home has been ascribed a moral meaning, insofar as reducing social contact, and maintaining isolation of the family “bubble” has been equated with consideration for the other ( Strong, 2021 ). Not surprisingly, public spaces of belonging were among the first to disappear once lockdown was imposed, and country after country confined women to their homes, while curtailing their access to help, care, agency, and support, despite the ever-growing flow of complaints about intimate violence.…”

“…In a thought-provoking article that explores HIV pandemic as a vantage point for examining current spatial ethics of proximity (namely, the collective imperative to maintain physical distance from one another, in order to “flatten the curve”), Strong (2021) argues that the moral meanings invoked by COVID-19, such as blame, shame, guilt and loss, bear an uncanny resemblance to those used in the HIV crisis. In other words, one pandemic has become the subtext for the other, triggering meanings for those affected by HIV.…”

Health Challenges Encountered by Spouses of the Selected Defense and Security Wing Personnel Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Lusaka, Zambia: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study

“…These values are placed on masculine ideals, encouraging notions of dominance, aggression, and risk-taking (Kern, 2017;Carroll et al, 2016;McCloskey et al, 2016). Other factors inherent to the military service favouring IPV perpetration include; majority are relatively youthful personnel and at higher risk of heavy alcohol consumption; frequent relocations, and the tendency to objectify the victims (Kwan et al, 2020;Sparrow et al, 2020;2017;Kern, 2017;Sharoni, 2016).…”

Introduction: revisiting the relationship between gender and war: reflections on theory, research, activism and policy

“…Feminists have called attention to the fact that militaristic interpretations of 'national security' and a significant presence of armed military and police personnel paradoxically heighten the sense of insecurity of women and minority groups (Cockburn and Zarkov, 2002;Sharoni, 2008). Additionally, it also appears that societal levels of militarism and rates of sexual assault, rape and intimate-partner violence prior to the escalation of a political conflict impacts upon gender-based violence at the height of the conflict (Sharoni, 2016). Likewise, the prevalence of violence against women during conflict tends to impact on the life experiences and safety of women in post-conflict societies (Cockburn, 2012).…”