Colonial Systems and Sexual Violence during Insurgency

• In Event: Resistance and Reconsideration

Abstract

Sexual violence during armed conflict is a pervasive issue, often employed strategically by both state and non-state actors to instill fear or expand control over civilians and entire communities. Previous research has explained variation in the use of sexual violence by either focusing on the strategic incentives of combatants or their ideological leanings. Within this paper, we argue that beyond these organizational characteristics and motivations, historical political systems – especially the legacies of repressive colonial rulers –can also influence patterns of internal warfare, including the extent to which all armed actors rely on sexual violence. Within this paper, drawing on the Big Allied and Dangerous 2 (Insurgency) data (BAAD2-I) and data on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict Data, we explore how the identities of past colonial rulers shape the use of sexual violence by both state and militant organizations during internal conflicts.

Authors

• Victor Asal, University at Albany, SUNY

• Amira Jadoon, Clemson University

• Sarbjeet Kaur, University of New Haven

• Christopher Linebarger, University of Massachusetts Lowell