‘Conflict-related violence against women’ is often understood to mean sexual violence, specifically rape used as a weapon of war. But this is only one part of a broad continuum of gender violence which must be understood and addressed within and across conflict settings. In her new book, Conflict-Related Violence Against Women: Transforming Transition, Aisling Swaine examines the contexts of Liberia, Northern Ireland and Timor-Leste to identify a spectrum of forms of gender violence. She analyses their occurrence, and the relationship between them, within and across different points of pre-, mid- and post-conflict. Swaine proposes that a transformation rather than a transition is required in the aftermath of conflict, if justice is to play a role in preventing gender violence.

Speakers

Professor Christine Bell, FBA is Director of the Political Settlements Research Programme (PSRP), Assistant Principal (Global Justice), Co-Director, Global Justice Academy, and Professor of Constitutional Law, School of Law, University of Edinburgh. Professor Bell will connect the book to research of PSRP and its Women and Peace Agreements Database, PA-X, which codes sexual violence in peace agreements in particular. 

Dr Aisling Swaine is Assistant Professor of Gender and Security at the Department of Gender Studies, LSE, where she teaches primarily on the MSc in Women, Peace and Security. Her book, Conflict-Related Violence Against Women: Transforming Transition was published by Cambridge University Press, in February 2018.

Professor Christine Chinkin, CMG FBA (chair) is Director of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security

Event Recording

Audio recording of the event.

Acknowledgements

This research is an output from the Political Settlements Research Programme (PSRP), funded by UK Aid from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The information and views set out in this publication are those of the author. Nothing herein constitutes the view of the Department, or has been subject to input by the Department.