The primary objective of the project is, through evidence-based research, to improve our understanding of dynamics of the use of sexual violence in conflict settings, and to contribute to develop improved methodologies for documenting and analyzing sexual violence and to identify the most effective strategies to reduce or eliminate the use of conflict-related sexual violence.
The purpose of this project is to address why sexual violence occurs during conflict and what might be done to reduce or eliminate it. We will focus on tackling the main challenges facing the literature on conflict-related sexual violence:
The most basic challenge is methodological - how to establish reliable systematic evidence and to overcome problems of potential data biases on sexual violence in contentious settings. Reporting biases can occur i.a. due to sexual violence being fraught with taboos, the conflict contexts in the violence occurs, and the phenomenon being potentially overlooked and discounted. We will therefore map (RQ1) which data generation biases exist, how do they potentially skew our results, and how can they be overcome?
The second challenge is substantive - the lack of understanding of the relationships between different forms of sexual violence and other parts of the repertoire of behaviors in contentious settings. Sexual violence is generally studied in isolation or as an aggregate category, although there can be important dynamics between different contentious repertoires and the different forms of sexual violence (e.g. rape, sexual slavery, sexual torture) might have both different causes and consequences.
We therefore ask: (RQ2) what is the strategic relevance and function of different forms of sexual violence in contentious politics? Based on this and the organizational, ideational, and other characteristics of perpetrator groups, we are able to ask the critical question of: (RQ3) which interventions and/or policies will significantly reduce or eliminate the use of sexual violence atrocities?
The answers to these three related questions will be sought through intensive data triangulation, cross-case comparative analyses using advanced statistical techniques, as well as in-depth micro-level studies. It will be critical to advancing the understanding and possible prevention of this heinous war crime.
A new article introduces the Repertoires of Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict (RSVAC) data package.
This data source 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, as well as extensive qualitative notes. The new data package helps disaggregate ‘sexual violence’ into its distinct forms and will therefore enable analysis of the reported presence of forms of sexual violence across time, conflicts, and organizations.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00223433211044674?icid=int.sj-full-text.citing-articles.1
The first issue in 2017 the PRIO Gender, Peace and Security Update is now out.
The lead story in this issue includes an interview with Sarah Douglas, Gender Advisor at the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office, about how the UN Peacebuilding Fund has managed to surpass the target for financing gender-specific projects.
Several new PRIO projects have received funding from the Research Council of Norway's FRIHUMSAM funding program.
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