Sexual Violence in Europe in World War II, 1939—1945

Burds, Jeffrey

doi:10.1177/1059601108329751

Cited by 32 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…In the modern era, the controversial Bryce Report included 13 accounts of rape committed by German soldiers in World War I 14. During World War II, CRSV was more apparent as a widespread issue in Europe15 and a disturbing tactical policy in the Far East 16. More recently, there is evidence of large-scale CRSV in conflicts in Algeria, Bosnia, Burundi, Colombia, DRC, Haiti and Liberia among others 7…”

Section: History Of Crsvmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflict-related sexual violence: a review

Stachow

2020

BMJ Mil Health

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Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a concerning yet prevalent feature of historical and current conflict. The term encompasses any form of sexual violence associated with conflict, including rape, sexual assault and forced marriage or prostitution. Acts of CRSV have been perpetrated by both military personnel and civilians against men, women and children. The aetiology of CRSV is complex and unique to each conflict and circumstance. It may arise as a deliberate tactic of war or as opportunistic criminal acts at times of the relative lawlessness resulting from conflict. CRSV can also be related to certain sociocultural attitudes surrounding conflict.CRSV can result in profound medical, psychological and social sequelae for victims and management requires a holistic approach to address these. The global political response to CRSV has been gaining momentum in recent decades. Although the practical reaction to political stances has been limited at times, some consistent messages have arisen from collaborative work between the United Nations and other multinational bodies. Advances have also been made in the judicial response to CRSV.Due to the widespread nature of the issue, there is the potential for the exposure of Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel to CRSV. This may occur while operating in a conflict zone or when participating in humanitarian operations. DMS personnel should maintain an awareness of the prevalence of CRSV and of any current political measures in place to tackle it. When appropriate, CRSV should feature in operational medical planning and pre-deployment training to assist personnel in managing any cases they encounter.

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Section: History Of Crsvmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflict-related sexual violence: a review

Stachow

2020

BMJ Mil Health

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“…Nonetheless these investigations provided strong hints that SGBV in war and conflict is a phenomenon that cuts across history and geography and deserves explanations that account for differences and similarities between time, place and social context. Historical and sociological perspectives, including accounts of sexual violence committed by regular European forces and the US army during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (which the literature on new wars and rape as a weapon of war largely has omitted), have meanwhile demonstrated that SGBV has occurred differently in various conflict situations, and has been relatively rare in others (Burds 2009;Miller 2009;Wood 2009). Today, refined analytical approaches to the causes of SGBV in areas of armed conflict have moved towards researching continuums between non-conflict and conflict-related SGBV (Boesten 2017) and military socializations in armies and armed groups (Wood and Toppelberg 2017;see Veit and Tschörner 2019).…”

Section: Sexual Violence and The Discovery Of New Warsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feminism in the Humanitarian Machine. Introduction to the Special Section on ‘The Politics of Intervention Against (Conflict-Related) Sexual and Gender-based Violence’

Veit

2019

Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding

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The prevention and mitigation of sexual and gender-based violence in (post-) conflict societies has become an important humanitarian activity. This introductory article examines the analytical discourses on these interventions, the institutionalization of SGBV expertise in international politics, and the emancipatory potential of anti-SGBV practices. It argues that the confluence of feminist professional activism and militarized humanitarian interventionism produced specific international activities against SGBV. As part of the institutionalization of gender themes in international politics, feminist emancipatory claims have been taken up by humanitarian organizations. The normal operating state of the humanitarian machine, however, undercuts its potential contribution to social transformation towards larger gender equality in (post-) conflict societies. IntroductionThis special section analyses international activities that seek to prevent the occurrence and mitigate the consequences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in armed conflicts and post-conflict societies. 1 The history of these branches of humanitarian intervention is relatively short. A surge in sustained political interest regarding sexual violence in armed conflict occurred only in the last decade of the previous millennium. It then took another ten years or so for projects and programmes focused on sexual violence to become integral to larger peacebuilding activities. Now, anti-sexual violence activities are a routine element in broader approaches of peacebuilding and statebuilding, as for example organized by the UN and its sub-organizations and peace missions. Other international organizations (IO) and internationally operating humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO) also now implement such projects and programmes fairly regularly. 2 Presently this branch of humanitarian activity seems to have arrived at a crossroads. On the one hand, SGBV-focused projects and programmes, and the involvement of specialized personnel, have become established practice in intervention settings. On the other hand, the political interest in war-related sexual violence may have already peaked and be on the verge of decline (Hilhorst and Douma 2018). Meanwhile, academic criticism of previously hegemonic rationales and approaches is increasing. Accordingly, it seems appropriate at this moment to take stock. The authors of this section aim to critically describe and analyse the history, concepts, structures and effects of these interventions. We interrogate how ideas and knowledge about SGBV in conflict areas are produced and discussed; which instruments and approaches are employed to prevent sexual violence and mitigate its consequences for victims, their families and larger society; and how and whether interventions seek to transform norms and structures of gendered inequality.This section situates SGBV interventions in (post-) conflict areas within the wider 'humanitarian machine'. This machine are the structures, discourses, and practices of militar...

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“…1 See, for example, the documentation of sexual violence during the First World War (Harris 1993) and Second World War (Burds 2009;Tanaka 2002). 2 The term victim legally designates an individual who has suffered a human rights violation and who is subsequently entitled to protection and compensation.…”

Section: Endnotesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding sexual violence in armed conflict: cutting ourselves with Occam’s razor

Anholt

2016

Int J Humanitarian Action

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Sexual violence has been firmly put on the internal agenda of the humanitarian community. Despite commendable advances in both policy and practice, there continues to be a gap between what is recommended and the reality in the field. In this paper, I argue that, notwithstanding the profound challenges of working in humanitarian emergencies, our understanding of sexual violence in conflict is watered down to such an extent that it impedes effective humanitarian action. First, humanitarians' reductionist approach to sexual violence not only disregards victims/survivors other than the stereotypical but also exempts perpetrators from scrutiny-including the international humanitarian community itself, through whose extensive depoliticisation of sexual violence has erased the link between gender inequality and violence. Second, the international humanitarian community has positioned itself as the white, western, heroic protector of vulnerable women and girls (and not men and boys)-a narrative that not only escalates power differences between humanitarian and beneficiary but also reproduces the subordination of women. Third, an exposé of silences in international discourses about sexual violence in armed conflict shows the humanitarian community's complicity in reproducing systems of gender inequality that allow for sexual violence to occur and remain unaddressed, by refusing to transform the restrictive political environment that ultimately impedes effective humanitarian action. This analysis of humanitarian sexual violence discourses indicates a mismatch between the nature of the issue and the way in which it is understood, leading to ineffective programmes on the ground. Humanitarians' engagement with critical research, as well as researchers' engagement with feminism, may recreate meanings that benefit our understanding rather than impede it.

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Sexual Violence in Europe in World War II, 1939—1945

Cited by 32 publications

References 14 publications

Conflict-related sexual violence: a review

Conflict-related sexual violence: a review

Feminism in the Humanitarian Machine. Introduction to the Special Section on ‘The Politics of Intervention Against (Conflict-Related) Sexual and Gender-based Violence’

Understanding sexual violence in armed conflict: cutting ourselves with Occam’s razor

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