Listening to the Silences: Women And War (International Humanitarian Law)

Challenging the perception that women are exclusively the victims, the caregivers or the passive supporters of men in times of armed conflict, Listening to the Silences: Women and War exposes the reader to a diversity of women’s voices. These voices, both personal and academic, demonstrate that women are increasingly taking on less ‘traditional’ roles during war, and that these roles are multifaceted, complicated and sometimes contradictory. The experiences of a judge, forensic anthropologist, survivor of sexual slavery, soldier, activist, journalist, humanitarian worker and others provide the reader with the opportunity to consider the depth of women’s involvement in armed conflict. Their voices highlight the fact that the international community at large has historically failed to listen to women, even as they have tried to tell their own individual tales of horror, heroism, courage, devastation, betrayal, violence and integrity during armed conflict. Concurrently the book examines in detail the legal infrastructure in this area, including debates on the adequacy of international law; developments in jurisprudence and the implementation of international resolutions. This book reveals that responses to women’s requirements during times of war will continue to be inadequate so long as we persist in silencing these differing perspectives and fail to take account of women’s dynamic and changing needs during war. Listening to the Silences: Women and War is a collection of women’s voices, each of which makes a unique contribution to a topic that is gathering international momentum and interest. The perspectives of these women greatly enhance our understanding of the gendered dimensions of armed conflict - they help to move the discourse beyond silence and towards inclusion, greater understanding and peace. Challenging the perception that women are exclusively the victims, the caregivers or the passive supporters of men in times of armed conflict, Listening to the Silences: Women and War exposes the reader to a diversity of women's voices. These voices, both personal and academic, demonstrate that women are increasingly taking on less 'traditional' roles during war, and that these roles are multifaceted, complicated and sometimes contradictory. The experiences of a judge, forensic anthropologist, survivor of sexual slavery, soldier, activist, journalist, humanitarian worker and others provide the reader with the opportunity to consider the depth of women's involvement in armed conflict. Their voices highlight the fact that the international community at large has historically failed to listen to women, even as they have tried to tell their own individual tales of horror, heroism, courage, devastation, betrayal, violence and integrity during armed conflict. Concurrently the book examines in detail the legal infrastructure in this area, including debates on the adequacy of international law; developments in jurisprudence and the implementation of international resolutions. This book reveals that responses to women's requirements during times of war will continue to be inadequate so long as we persist in silencing these differing perspectives and fail to take account of women's dynamic and changing needs during war. Listening to the Silences: Women and War is a collection of women's voices, each of which makes a unique contribution to a topic that is gathering international momentum and interest. The perspectives of these women greatly enhance our understanding of the gendered dimensions of armed conflict - they help to move the discourse beyond silence and towards inclusion, greater understanding and peace.-- Provided by publisher Challenging the perception that women are exclusively the victims, the caregivers or the passive supporters of men in times of armed conflict, Listening to the Silences: Women and War exposes the reader to a diversity of women s voices. These voices, both personal and academic, demonstrate that women are increasingly taking on less traditional roles during war, and that these roles are multifaceted, complicated and sometimes contradictory. The experiences of a judge, forensic anthropologist, survivor of sexual slavery, soldier, activist, journalist, humanitarian worker and others provide the reader with the opportunity to consider the depth of women s involvement in armed conflict. Their voices highlight the fact that the international community at large has historically failed to listen to women, even as they have tried to tell their own individual tales of horror, heroism, courage, devastation, betrayal, violence and integrity during armed conflict. Concurrently the book examines in detail the legal infrastructure in this area, including debates on the adequacy of international law; developments in jurisprudence and the implementation of international resolutions. This book reveals that responses to women s requirements during times of war will continue to be inadequate so long as we persist in silencing these differing perspectives and fail to take account of women s dynamic and changing needs during war. Listening to the Silences: Women and War is a collection of women s voices, each of which makes a unique contribution to a topic that is gathering international momentum and interest. The perspectives of these women greatly enhance our understanding of the gendered dimensions of armed conflict - they help to move the discourse beyond silence and towards inclusion, greater understanding and peace." Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Foreword Table of Contents Acknowledgements Preface Part I Listening to Women’s Voices 1 Fifty Years of Silence: Cry of the Raped 2 The Roses 3 Combat Operations in Iraq: An Australian Soldier’s Perspective 4 The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women 5 Sri Lanka First: The Business of Peace 6 Women’s Role in Peacemaking: Personal Experiences Part II How Does Law and Practice Affect How We Hear Women's Voices? 7 Sexual Violence during Wartime 8 Gender-Based Violence Among Conflict-affected Populations: Humanitarian Program Responses 9 Reporting on Women During Armed Conflict: A War Journalist’s Perspective 10 International Humanitarian Law and the Protection of Women 11 Women and Armed Conflict: The Response of International Humanitarian Law 12 The Jurisprudence of International War Crimes Tribunals: Securing Gender Justice for Some Survivors 13 The Other Voices: Interpreters and Investigators of Sexual Violence in International Criminal Prosecutions 14 Small Conversations Can Lead to Big Changes 15 Facilitating Women’s Voices in Truth Recovery: An Assessment of Women’s Participation and the Integration of a Gender Perspective in Truth Commissions Part III How Can We Use Women’s Voices to Create and Perpetuate Peace and Security? 16 Engendering the Peace Process: Women’s Role in Peace-building and Conflict Resolution 17 Fine Lines of Transformation: Afghan Women Working For Peace 18 Moving beyond Silence: Women Waging Peace Index International Humanitarian Law Series Demonstrates that women are taking on increasingly less traditional roles during war, and that these roles are multifaceted, complicated and sometimes contradictory. Reveals that women's requirements during times of war will continue to be inadequate so long as we continue silencing the differing perspectives. Australian editors