Foreword
Gender based violence is fundamentally a violation against human rights. Stemming such violence will be crucial in working towards poverty reduction as well as human security. Policies and interventions aimed at combating gender based violence in its different forms; e.g. domestic violence, violence due to harmful traditional practices and violence against LGBT-people, as well as rape, demand a holistic approach as well as a context specific one.
This analysis of sexual violence in war time and post-conflict Africa draws on the case study of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It critically explores and convincingly challenges existing stereotypes and narratives about the nature of sexual violence in conflict settings. By identifying forms of conflict-related violence, and explaining the role of various complex factors, it draws attention to the need for a more nuanced understanding of sexual violence, including its invisible victims. It thereby provides a more informed basis for understanding the complex circumstances in which sexual and gender based violence are committed. Furthermore, it transcends the one-sided explanations that separate SGBV from other forms of violence that afflict war-ridden societies, and haunt post-war contexts.
This report, which is the first in the gender based violence series, produces refreshingly original knowledge on gender norms, violence and security-development in post-conflict DRC. We hope that it will be of great importance to various international policy actors, activists and scholars with a keen interest in addressing issues related to gender equality, violence and peace in post-war settings.