Repertoires of conflict-related sexual violence: Introducing the RSVAC data package

Scholars increasingly call for documentation and analysis of specific forms of conflict-related sexual violence. Moreover, accountability for crimes is stronger when specific patterns of victimization are documented. This article introduces the Repertoires of Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict (RSVAC) data package, which assembles reports from 1989 to 2015 of forms of sexual violence by government/states forces, insurgent/rebel organizations, and pro-government militias for each conflict and year. RSVAC compiles the reported prevalence of eight forms of sexual violence – rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage, forced prostitution, sexual mutilation, forced pregnancy, forced sterilization and abortion, non-penetrative sexual torture, and sexual abuse (as well as that of multiple-perpetrator reports of each form). It includes extensive qualitative notes on reported incidents, as well as ‘conflict manuscripts’ that include the relevant portions of source documents. Disaggregating ‘sexual violence’ into its distinct forms enables analysis of the reported presence of forms of sexual violence across time, conflicts, and organizations. We illustrate its usefulness by highlighting hitherto neglected global patterns it suggests, and also discuss limitations, potential biases and underreporting that users need to take into account. We outline several research questions that the data can help answer and suggest how the data package could inform policy efforts to address sexual violence and its consequences.

What is Behind the Bodice (Choli Ki Pichhe)? Narratives of Simulacra, Rape, Forced Whoredom: A Critical Analysis of Mahasweta Devi’s Behind the Bodice

Media is not a charitable organization rather a profitable institution. Media often fails to publish important national issues and success to publish the non-issues for escalating the mercantile gains. Interestingly, media often adopts simulation, simulacra, hyper-reality to printed or digitalized news applying their unethical de-realization or yellow journalism. I, therefore, theoretically and thematically will show in my paper how this paid journalism and unethical media using a false representation of Gangor’s breast doomed her life. This ‘Simulacrum’ gives birth of narratives of violence, gang rape, and forced prostitution in Mahasweta Devi’s story Behind the Bodice. Jean Baudrillard defines ‘Simulacra’ as something that replaces reality with its false representation. According to him, it refers the false reality of the image and misrepresentation of true reality actually. In the story Behind the Bodice, Gangor’s breast feeding of her child is a natural phenomenon. But this true reality, ‘save the breast’ (simulacra) is represented with erotic code which sells abroad by Upin Puri at huge prices. This ace-photographer exhibited the nakedness of India to the West for his journalistic prosperity. His false representations of Gangor’s breasts germinate the tales of violence, eviction, male gaze, narratives of forced prostitution and finally, a tragic doom. I will highlight in my paper how this subject is appreciated by then. On the other hand, ‘Behind the Bodice’ introduces the narrative of simulacra, rape and forced whoredom by the power, politics and apparatus of the repressive state.

A Feminist Analysis: Sexual Violence in the Bosnian War (1992-1995)

Throughout history, war violence has disproportionately affected women, especially in patriarchal societies. Wartime rape, which is the most common and destructive type of conflict-related sexual violence, is the clearest example of these effects. This study clarifies the sexual violence experiences of Yugoslavian women during the Bosnian War, which had lasted between the years 1992-1995, with an anti-militarist feminist perspective. The first part of the article includes hypotheses of feminist theory about conflict-related sexual violence. The second part handles types of sexual violence such as wartime rape, forced prostitution, and forced pregnancy that had affected women in Yugoslavian conflict areas between 1992-1995. The last part of the study describes the numerical dimensions of the sexual violence used in the Bosnian War and its ef-fects on Yugoslavian women. Throughout history, war violence has disproportionately affected women, especially in patriarchal societies. Wartime rape, which is the most common and destructive type of conflict-related sexual violence, is the clearest example of these effects. This study clarifies the sexual violence experiences of Yugoslavian women during the Bosnian War, which had lasted between the years 1992-1995, with an anti-militarist feminist perspective. The first part of the article includes hypotheses of feminist theory about conflict-related sexual violence. The second part handles types of sexual violence such as wartime rape, forced prostitution, and forced pregnancy that had affected women in Yugoslavian conflict areas between 1992-1995. The last part of the study describes the numerical dimensions of the sexual violence used in the Bosnian War and its effects on Yugoslavian women.

Policy and Politics of (Forced) Prostitution

This chapter examines the policy and politics of (forced) prostitution. One of the most important measures against the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) was the registration of regular sex workers and women the authorities suspected of prostitution. Once the women had been registered as prostitutes, they seem to have been unable to express a preference for street or brothel prostitution. There was a degree of compulsion to enter the official brothels, with their barracked daily life, in the occupied Polish territories. The vast majority of sexual enslavement affected women in the Warthegau. The perverted racial policies in the Warthegau contributed to the prostitution system there being a place of “organized rape in conditions of terror”. In the Warthegau, fraternization was punished by committal to the brothels. The chapter then looks at forced prostitution. The German occupation authorities acted not only as pimps, but also as traffickers.

Disciplinary Measures

This chapter explores the disciplinary measures against fraternizing women. Women's sexual behaviour was linked to ideas of national honour; patriotic opinion-makers classified intimate relationships with the German occupiers as a betrayal of the nation. As such, moralistic appeals to women were made throughout the German occupation. These appeals to women form part of the general work of public education carried out by the Polish Underground. Another level of action taken by the Underground was to spy on women with German boyfriends. Espionage would be followed by a forceful warning and one of the options open to the Polish executive of the Underground in cases of repeated contravention was the practice of shaving heads as an honour punishment. This penalty was well-enough known to be feared by Polish women: short hair stigmatized them for months. The Polish Underground also made use of other physical punishments, such as beatings and the death penalty. The chapter then looks at the disciplinary measures taken by Nazi authorities, including forced prostitution

Epilogue

This epilogue discusses the ongoing consequences of wartime rape, wartime encounters and prostitution in postwar Poland and Germany. Numerous victims of rape and forced prostitution would continue to suffer from the assaults, often for decades. Likewise, for many of the Polish women who had variously consensual relationships with German men during the occupation, the war continued after the German retreat. Some of them were subjected to honour punishments, or threatened with social ostracism after the war. Ultimately, the German men and Polish women alike took their experiences of commercial, consensual, and forced contact into their existing or future marriages and families.

Close to Home

For decades, the ad hoc tribunals and the International Criminal Court have taken the presumptive spotlight in prosecuting international crimes cases, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence. However, recent progress in prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence in national courts has started to both fulfil and complicate the notion of ‘complementarity’ between these two arenas of international criminal justice. This article presents the historical antecedents and current diversity of national courts addressing conflict-related sexual violence. It first casts back to the 1940s, to the little-known efforts of the United War Crimes Commission that guided national authorities in their prosecution of wartime atrocities including rape and forced prostitution. It then focuses on three kinds of national courts addressing conflict-related sexual violence today: military tribunals, hybrid tribunals and ‘purely domestic’ specialized chambers, highlighting key case studies and different ways these courts have engaged international actors. In conclusion, the article confirms the growing importance and diversity of national courts in the prosecution of conflict-related sexual violence, identifying ways the international community can better support survivors’ access to this more local justice.

Brutal Harassments against Woman in Last Decade

Women are facing serious insecure circumstances in today’s society. Women are being subjected to various sexual harassment like Rape and murder, sexual assault, acid throwing, war rape, sexual violence, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, woman trafficking, and so on. Despite all available strict laws made by the legislature for preventing this violence, it remains pervasive through out the world. Even when stringent punishment were given in these cases, such barbaric activities against women are continuously happening every day in some place in our nation. Every woman who comes out of her home faces any one form of harassment stated above. This paper aims to explore the status of women in India in the last decade. It recollects some of the brutal and aggravated incidents of harassment against women in our country. The paper concludes with a message “Violence against women must never be excused and never be tolerated. Every woman must be respected and protected. It is the responsibility of every human being to STOP SEXUAL HARASSMENT.”