ABOUT THIS BOOK

Reports of sexual violence in armed conflict frequently appear in political discussions and news media, presenting a stark contrast to a long history of silence and nonrecognition. Conflict-related sexual violence has transitioned rapidly from a neglected human rights issue to an unambiguous security concern on the agendas of powerful states and the United Nations Security Council. Through interviews and primary-source evidence, Kerry F. Crawford investigates the reasons for this dramatic change and the implications of the securitization of sexual violence.

Views about wartime sexual violence began changing in the 1990s as a result of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and then accelerated in the 2000s. Three case studies—the United States' response to sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1820 in 2008, and the development of the United Kingdom’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative—illustrate that use of the weapon of war frame does not represent pure co-optation by the security sector. Rather, well-placed advocates have used this frame to advance the antisexual violence agenda while simultaneously working to move beyond the frame’s constraints. This book is a groundbreaking account of the transformation of international efforts to end wartime sexual violence.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Kerry F. Crawford is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at James Madison University. She was the recipient of the 2015–2016 James N. Rosenau Postdoctoral Scholar Fellowship from the International Studies Association. This is her first book.

REVIEWS

A thought-provoking and accessible assessment of the meteoric rise of a once-ignored policy issue. Crawford's analysis—along with rich detail from three recent cases—provides a valuable framework that can serve as the foundation for future scholarship.

-- Perspectives on Politics

Will be of interest not only to people studying wartime sexual violence and the global response to it but also to scholars of international norms, institutions, and security studies in general.

-- H-Diplo

"Will be of interest not only to people studying wartime sexual violence and the global response to it but also to scholars of international norms, institutions, and security studies in general. "

-- H-Diplo

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction1. Defining the Weapon: Sexual Violence as a Security Issue 2. “Her Story Is Far Too Common”: The US Response to Sexual Violence in the DRC 3. A Security Concern: Sexual Violence and UN Security Council Resolution 18204. Expanding the Agenda: PSVI and State-Led Advocacy5. The Legacy of the “Weapon of War” Frame: Implications for Research, Policy, and PracticeConclusionReferencesIndexAbout the Author