How does women's participation in non-state armed groups affect those groups' practice of sexual violence?

Hilary Matfess (University of Denver)

About the Project

Explaining why certain non-state armed groups engage in sexual violence, while others do not is an urgent question for both conflict scholars and the policy community. In this mixed-methods project, I consider how women’s participation in non-state armed groups shapes the organization’s pattern of sexual violence. My findings challenge the conventional wisdom, which underpins much of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, that women’s participation in armed groups should be associated with restraint in the exercise of violence against civilians. This article contributes to the problematizing of such discourse that has emerged in response to recent studies demonstrating that women associated with non-state armed groups can encourage and even perpetrate such violence.

Speaker Biography

Hilary Matfess is an incoming Assistant Professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Her research examines gender and conflict, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. She has published her work in International Studies, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, African Studies Review , among other academic outlets.

Chair: Prof Christopher Cramer (SOAS)

Registration

This event is open to the public, however registration is required. Online Registration

Contact email: cas@soas.ac.uk