Prevention of Sexual and Gender-based Violence
Current Projects
Impact of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence on the Dynamics of Conflict (2020-)
Investigators: Jacqui True & Sara E. Davies
Project Type: Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Synopsis:
This project aims to understand the impact of sexual and gender-based violence on the dynamics of conflict. With an innovative mixed method design it will study all reported incidences of sexual and gender-based violence in 41 conflict-affected countries between 1998 and 2018. It will generate new knowledge establishing how and when crimes of sexual and gender-based violence affect the onset and intensity of conflict. The expected outcomes of this project include the identification of the most high-risk situations, the phases of violence, and the improvement of risk assessments for such violence. The project will significantly benefit the prevention of sexual and gender- based violence in conflict-affected situations globally.
Past Projects
The Political Economy of Post-conflict Violence against Women (2015-2019)
Investigator: Jacqui True
Project type: Australian Research Council Future Fellowship
Synopsis:
Led by Prof. Jacqui True this fellowship project examines post-conflict and political transitions as major opportunities for advancing women’s rights and participation. Yet an apparent spike in sexual and gender-based violence against women hinders these opportunities once armed conflict is stabilised or regime change is achieved. This project seeks to explain the causes of that violence and its consequences for women’s economic and political participation in different environments. The research will compare post-conflict, political transition and non-conflict countries across two regions, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa, examining the gender inequalities, regional patterns, and global forces that appear to heighten violence against women and hinder women’s participation.
This project has had the following academic publications to date:
- True, J. ed. 2019. “Post-Conflict Care Economies.” Symposium. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society, 26, 4.
- True, J. and A.A. Hozic, “Special Issue: International Financial Institutions and the Gendered Circuits of Violence in Post-Conflict.” Review of International Political Economy.
- Rai, S., J. True and M. Tanyag. 2019. “From Depletion to Regeneration: Addressing Structural and Physical Violence in Post-Conflict Economies.” Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society 26, 4: 561-585.
- True, J. and A.A. Hozic. 2020. “Don’t Mention the War! International Financial Institutions and the Gendered Circuits of Violence in Post-Conflict.” Review of International Political Economy.
- Chilmeran, Y. and J. True. 2019. “The Political Economy of Women’s Peacebuilding.” In Nicholas Leymay-Herbert ed. Handbook on Statebuilding and Peacebuilding. Edward Elgar Publishing, 323-338.
- True, J. and S. Hewitt. 2019. “WPS and Relief and Recovery.” In S.E. Davies and J. True eds. The Oxford Handbook on Women, Peace and Security, New York: Oxford University Press.
- True, J. and B. Svedberg. 2019. “WPS and International Financial Institutions,” in S. E. Davies and J. True eds. The Oxford Handbook on Women, Peace and Security, New York: Oxford University Press.
- True, J. 2018. “The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Violence Against Women.” In Juanita Elias and Adrienne Roberts eds. Handbook on Gender and International Political Economy. London: Edward Elgar.
- True, J. 2017. “Conflict in Asia and the Role of Gender-Based Violence.” In The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia, San Francisco: Asia Foundation.
- True, J. 2015. “A Tale of Two Feminisms in International Relations? Feminist Political Economy and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.”Politics & Gender 11, 2: 419-424.
- True, J. “The Political Economy of Violence against Women in Africa.” BUWA: A Journal of African Women’s Experiences. Open Society Institute, South Africa.
Preventing Mass Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Asia Pacific (2014-2019)
Investigators: Sara Davies & Jacqui True
Project Type: Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Project Website: https://arts.monash.edu/gender-peace-security/preventing-mass-sexual-violence-in-asia-pacific
Open Access Preventing Mass Sexual Violence in Asia Pacific Database: https://figshare.com/articles/Preventing_Mass_Sexual_Violence_in_Asia-Pacific/6119078
Synopsis:
The Prevention of Sexual Violence in Asia Pacific project is concerned with understanding the relationship between endemic violence against women with widespread and systematic sexual and gender based violence. We are documenting all reports of violence against women and girls in three countries: Philippines, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The purpose is to understand the relationship between political violence, violence against women and spikes in sexual violence atrocities against these populations. The study covers 1998 to ongoing period. We are also conducting fieldwork in each of the three cases to identify reporting gaps and supplement our database on reporting patterns.
This project has had the following academic publications to date:
- Davies, S.E. and J. True. 2017. "Connecting the Dots: Pre-existing Patterns of Gender Inequality and the Likelihood of Mass Sexual Violence." Global Responsibility to Protect 9, 1: 65-85.
- Davies, S.E. and J. True. 2017. "The Politics of Counting and Reporting Conflict-related Sexual and Gender-based Violence." International Feminist Journal of Politics 19, 1: 4-21.
- Davies, S.E. and J. True. 2017. "Norm Entrepreneurship in International Politics: William Hague and the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict." Foreign Policy Analysis 13, 3, 1: 701–721.
- Davies, S.E and J. True, 2017. "When there is no justice: gendered violence and harm in post-conflict Sri Lanka." International Journal of Human Rights 21, 9: 1320-1336.
- True, J. 2017. "Conflict in Asia and the Role of Gender-Based Violence." In The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia, San Francisco: Asia Foundation.
- Davies, S.E, J. True and M. Tanyag. 2016, "How Women’s Silence Secures the Peace: Analysing Sexual And Gender-Based Violence in a Low Intensity Conflict." Gender and Development 24, 3: 459-473.
- Davies, S.E and J. True, 2015, “Reframing Conflict-Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Bringing Gender Analysis Back In." Security Dialogue 46, 6: 495-512.
- Davies, S.E and J. True. 2015, "The Pandemic of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and the Political Economy of Gender Inequality." In Nicola Henry, Anastasia Powell and Asher Flynn, eds. Rape Justice: Beyond the Realm of Law, Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Online Publications:
- "The Scourge of Sexual Violence in Myanmar." Asia & Pacific Policy Forum, May 2018.
- "When There Is No Justice: The Case of Post-Conflict Sri Lanka." Monash GPS, October 2017.
- 'Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict: What Can UK Efforts Tell Us?' The Global Observatory, International Peace Institute, March 2017.
- "Breaking the Silence on Myanmar’s Rohingya." The Global Observatory, International Peace Institute, June 2016.
- "Myanmar’s Ceasefire: Where Do Women Sign?" The Global Observatory, International Peace Institute, October 2015.
- "The UN, Women, Peace and Security: 15 years on, women’s participation in peace and security is more urgent than ever." Australian Outlook, October 2015.
- "In Myanmar there will be no democratic transition without women." Asia Pacific Policy Forum, September 2015.
- "Dispelling 5 Myths about Sexual Violence in Conflict: How can we do better with data on Asia Pacific?" Responsibility to Protect Spotlight, Issue 9, June 2014.