The Political Economy of Violence against Women During Armed Conflict in Uganda

In times of war, rape is the most frequent act of violence committed against women. Rape is also a form of political & economic violence that affects an entire society. The communities involved often reject the women who have been raped, forcing them to withdraw. In the process, these women are stripped of all access to property or other resources, leaving them & their children completely impoverished. When using the Ugandan Civil War as a case study, it becomes evident that violence is often deliberately employed during armed conflict to rob women of their property & possessions, their role as wives, & their social standing. In the process, the community itself is destroyed. Because the decision to rape women is deliberate, it is not an inevitable component of war. Policies that are specifically designed to protect women against rape, & other forms of sexual violence, must be implemented. 29 References. K. A. Larsen