Women, gender roles and gender-based violence after war

Abstract

Mainstream postwar studies on violence exclusively focus on violence between previously warring factions and provide less attention to how gender-based violence (GBV) is a barrier to gender equality and women's empowerment. This chapter presents women's experiences of GBV in postwar Nepal and Sri Lanka and asks three questions. (1) How do different forms of GBV erode women's empowerment? (2) How do GBV experiences differ amongst diverse castes (Dalit women, lower-caste women), ethnic groups (Tamil and Muslim women), and regional backgrounds? (3) What possibilities do women see to overcome GBV in Nepal and Sri Lanka? The chapter suggests that GBV functions as a structural barrier that undermines women's empowerment in postwar societies socially, economically, and politically. Methodologically, we build on our previous work in Nepal and Sri and rely on secondary sources such as a review of policy, articles, media, and local NGO documents. We draw upon gender and conflict studies, postwar GBV studies, and intersectionality literature. © Gayle Kaufman, Michael Stambolis-Ruhstorfer, Steven Roberts & Brittany Ralph 2024.