La Women’s violence in armed conflicts and the non reaction of international organizations

Abstract

Dominant representations of wars and armed conflicts in political and popular discourse establish a dichotomy between male combatants and actors of violence, and women, passive victims of violence during conflict. But if it remains true that national armies are still in their majority male (even though more and more armies allow and even encourage female soldiers), it is important not to ignore the active roles played by women in com-bat, and the violent acts that they may perpetrate, including sexual and gender-based violence against other women. The invisibility of this reality of violent women can be explained by the very masculine norms of militarism, but also by a reluctance from some feminists to talk about this violence. Feminist researchers may find it difficult to talk about the women’s violence because even if one rejects the idea that women are essentially more peaceful or more empathetic than men, it is sometimes difficult to reconcile a critique of war and “militarized masculinities” with a recognition that there are also forms of femininity that are militarized and violent. This non-recognition of women’s violence during war also extends to international organizations, who often reinforce the gendered dichotomies and stereotypes of violent men and innocent women during their interventions. In this article we explore the impacts of this invisibilization of women’s violence during conflicts, including negative impacts on these women themselves.