Impunity in sexual violence against girl children during armed conflict

Master's Thesis , 2016 , 31 Pages , Grade: 4.5/6

Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights

According to the Former Deputy Force Commander of the UN mission to the DRC “It is more dangerous to be a woman than to be a soldier in modern conflict”. Indeed, sexual violence is the silent crime happening massively during all armed conflicts. The question of the extension of the problem has been tackled several times by several international organizations, researchers, UN bodies, and by the states affected. However, nobody really knows which is the real impact of these crimes.

Women and girls are usually disproportionally affected, and crimes such as these have devastating, long-term effects on the lives of survivors. Noting that this is a crime that affects particularly women and girls, special mention on this issue must be made on girls. Among the categorized six grave violations against children in armed conflicts, sexual violence has, as previously underlined, a specific gender dimension making girl children especially vulnerable, and main target of those practices.

This paper tries to show that sexual violence occurring during armed conflict follows common patterns, that is to say, that regardless of the country where it happens, surprisingly it feels like the practice follows the same template of perpetration. It will also prove that girl children are the main victims, so that it would make sense for them to be the ones more protected by legislation against sexual violence during armed conflict. However, this paper will finish showing that the lack of law enforcement leads to impunity due to different reasons, which happens to be a constant repetition of similar motives every time, and everywhere.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Context of Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict
• Chapter 2: Legal Protection Afforded in Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict
• Chapter 3: Reasons Leading to Impunity for SGBV Crimes
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to analyze the prevalence of sexual violence against girl children during armed conflict and the reasons behind the widespread impunity enjoyed by perpetrators. It explores the legal framework surrounding such crimes and investigates the factors contributing to their persistent occurrence despite international legal protections.

• The context and patterns of sexual violence in armed conflict
• The legal framework for protecting girl children from sexual violence during armed conflict
• The reasons for impunity in cases of sexual violence against girl children in armed conflict
• The disproportionate impact of sexual violence on girl children
• The need for improved law enforcement and accountability to address impunity

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This section introduces the topic of sexual violence against girl children during armed conflict, highlighting its prevalence and the lack of reliable information about its true extent. It emphasizes the devastating consequences of these crimes on survivors, families, and communities, and underscores the particular vulnerability of girl children.
• Chapter 1: The Context of Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: This chapter explores the context and patterns of sexual violence in armed conflict. It discusses the various actors involved in perpetrating these crimes and the factors contributing to their occurrence, such as a breakdown of law and order, a culture of impunity, and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
• Chapter 2: Legal Protection Afforded in Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: This chapter examines the legal framework designed to protect girl children from sexual violence in armed conflict. It explores the relevant international laws and conventions, including the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also discusses the limitations and challenges in implementing these legal frameworks.
• Chapter 3: Reasons Leading to Impunity for SGBV Crimes: This chapter delves into the reasons behind the widespread impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of sexual violence against girl children in armed conflict. It analyzes factors such as weak law enforcement, political pressure, corruption, and the lack of victim support services. It also explores the role of societal attitudes and cultural norms in perpetuating impunity.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Sexual violence, girl children, armed conflict, impunity, legal protection, international law, Geneva Conventions, Rome Statute, Convention on the Rights of the Child, gender-based violence, law enforcement, accountability, transitional justice, victim support.

• Grade: 4.5/6
• Author: Marina Fernandez Arroyo (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 31
• Catalog Number: V354406
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668407244
• ISBN (Book): 9783668407251
• Language: English
• Tags: impunity