Comparative Perspectives on Intimate Violence and Gendered Peace

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

A rich corpus of literature in political science focuses on the causes and consequences of public violence while often ignoring private violence altogether, particularly in contexts outside of war. This panel brings together a variety of scholars working on sexuality, sexual violence, and the regulation of sexual relationships outside of war, in contexts ranging from Southern Africa, South Asia, and the UK. Stember and Sabnis each explore the historical circumstances under which different forms of violence, intimacy, and sexuality – and their regulation – became socially and politically sanctioned. Whereas Stember explores the underlying accelerants of gender-based violence (GBV) in Namibia, Sabnis scrutinizes the cross-national regulation of sex-work, marriage, and other forms of sexual intimacy. Malik examines the conditions under which sexual violence receives attention from broader publics, arguing that various gendered, political, and racialized characteristics generate the conditions for mobilization. Finally, Sheth and Lake and Hartman explore avenues to provide remedy for sexual violence in India and the UK, respectively. Collectively, these articles challenge the notion that the regulation of sexuality and sexual violence falls outside of the realm of politics.

Sub Unit

• Division 31: Women , Gender and Politics Research

Chair

• Natasha Behl Arizona State University

Discussants

• Milli Lake London School of Economics

• Dipali Anumol The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Individual Presentations

• Gender-Based Violence in Namibia: Confronting Colonialism and Apartheid - Mariah Stember, Hamilton College

• Mobilizing Mass Protests against Sexual Violence in India and South Africa - Aditi Malik, College of the Holy Cross

• The Politics of Credibility: Women and Violence in India - Surili Sheth, University of California, Berkeley

• Private and Political Violence: Rape Remedy and the Persistence of Patriarchy - Alexandra Hartman, UCL; Milli Lake, London School of Economics