MILITARISING RAPE: A STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF BOSNIAN RAPE CAMPS AND THE JAPANESE "COMFORT WOMEN" SYSTEM

War and rape in armed conflicts have been ancient phenomena throughout human history. However, as warfare has become more industrialized and technologically advanced, traditional notions of warfare, security, and strategy have been challenged. The discourse on wartime rape has shifted from viewing it as an inevitable consequence of war to recognizing it as an important issue of international security. The strategic rape theory has emerged as the most influential conceptualization of mass wartime rape, contributing to transformative implications in international criminal law, women's rights, and strategic studies. Son applies the strategic rape theory to the Bosnian War and the Japanese comfort women system. Both cases involve the institutionalization of wartime rape, but with different strategic objectives. The Bosnian War utilized rape as a tool for genocide and ethnic cleansing, while the Japanese comfort women system aimed to control the behavior of Japanese soldiers and protect their reputation. These cases highlight the multifunctionality of institutionalized wartime rape and the importance of considering sociocultural and political factors in understanding its implementation.