The Paradox of Peace: Violence Against Women in the Aftermath of Civil War
Authors: Angie Torres-Beltran, Priscilla Torres, Taylor Vincent, Zinab Attai, Sumin Lee, and Sabrina Karim
Synopsis: Do wars improve women's status? Recent scholarship argues that transitions after inter-state and intra-state war disrupt traditional hierarchies and open up space for improvements in women's rights. Yet, while women's political and legal status may improve, less is known regarding women's security and safety in post-conflict societies. We build on this work to show that there is variation in women's status after inter-state and intra-state wars. While women may experience improvements in their ability to participate in politics or enjoy more rights, violence against women remains a problem. Using a cross-national, time-series data set with a variety of measures of women's status, we examine the differential effect of inter and intra-state wars on women's rights and violence against women. We demonstrate that while women's political and legal rights increase after war, violence against women persists, and in some cases, higher than during the conflict period. Our work sheds light on women's status after war to demonstrate that despite advances in women's political and legal rights, women's everyday security and safety remains an issue.
Gendered Justice: Victimization, Bureaucracy and Political Change for Women
Author: Angie Torres-Beltran
Synopsis: This book proposal seeks to provide institutional explanations for gender justice (and the lack thereof). More specifically, it asks the following questions:
• In contexts with high levels of impunity, how does gender-based violence shape punishment preferences?
• What role do street-level bureaucrats play in justice processes? And how do citizens perceive these local authorities?
• Does being a victim of gender-based violence shape other political attitudes and behavior?
• How can governments address local-level accountability?
Taken together, this book proposal aims to examine the complex relationship between institutional actors, gender, violence, and political behavior and preferences. By focusing on the authorities and bureaucrats within institutions and the degree to which they are gendered, it aims to shed light on how certain institutional ‘pockets of efficiency’ within the state are particularly adept at addressing the needs of women and victims, while others lag behind in their responsiveness.