Sexual Violence against Men in Conflict Zones: A Hegemonic Masculinity Approach

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue III, March 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Sexual Violence against Men in Conflict Zones: A Hegemonic Masculinity Approach

Thuso Donald Mosabala
Pan African University in Cameroon

Abstract: Masculinity as a concept has influenced the studies of gender across many academic fields. This essay argues that masculinity has shaped the current discourse on sexual violence against men in conflict zones. It further recognises the role of hegemonic masculinity as a form of masculinity and argues it presents an angle that has often been neglected in the study of gender and sexual violence, being sexual violence especially rape against men. It reveals that sexual violence against both women and men has served as a tactic of war essential to demonstrating dominance and humiliation of the perceived enemy. In the literature however, there is a gender bias portrayal of women and children being the only victims of sexual violence. This essay looks into the breadth and the forms of sexual violence and the different contexts under which it occurs against men in conflict. The reluctance of male victims to report sexual violence and in particular rape, the slow progress by the international community in recognising its existence on men, lack of investigating and theorising sexual violence specifically on men is explored.

Keywords: Sexual Violence, Rape, Men, Masculinity, Conflict.

I. INTRODUCTION

Civilians in conflict zones across the world, generally women and children are often vulnerable to sexual violence which among others takes the form of rape, mutilation and sexual slavery. This violence is carried out by either government forces, non-state actors including rebel groups, militias, criminal organisations and or both. The veracity behind sexual violence is such that those who use it deem it a strategic tool to inflict terror and humiliate civilian populations who may be seen as sympathising to the opposed factions. AsArieff (2010:8) puts it, sexual violence may be strategically employed for a variety of purposes such as intimidation, humiliation, political terror, extracting information, rewarding soldiers and ethnic cleansing.

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