Gendering of wartime sexual violence in artistic conflict narratives

Abstract

Wartime sexual violence has become more recognized in global security policy during recent years. However, multiple research findings point out that there exists a discrepancy regarding who the victims and perpetrators of wartime sexual violence are according to policy and according to research. More specifically, the vulnerability to wartime sexual violence can be found to be feminized, whereas the perpetration of wartime sexual violence masculinized - a juxtaposition which creates a false understanding of how wartime sexual violence occurs in reality. Consequently, even though all individuals underreport their experiences, male victims in particular can be found to remain silent about their experiences. Much of the research about the issue relies on political and interview narratives. That is why this thesis will examine the reflections of the gendering of wartime sexual violence in artistic conflict narratives, which are identified as any conflict-themed narratives produced in an artistic form, such as paintings, photography or literature.

By conducting a gendered reading of the symbolism of agency and passivity in South African apartheid poetry by applying a symbolic constructivist approach, this thesis attempts to determine whether this approach can be used to determine how the gendering of wartime sexual violence, violent experiences and emotional dynamics are present in poetic narratives written in the context of a violent social environment.