3161. The Hidden War: Legal Responses to Intimate Partner Violence in Fragility and Conflict
- Author:
- Matt Moore
- Publication Date:
- 12-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS)
- Abstract:
- Millions of women suffer intimate partner violence (IPV) each year in countries experiencing or emerging from war. While the international community has increasingly recognized the urgency of combating conflict-related sexual violence, much less attention has been accorded to preventing IPV and addressing its repercussions in conflict-affected settings. Addressing the full spectrum of violence in conflict entails preventing IPV and supporting IPV survivors. Recent evidence suggests that IPV prevalence can increase in some conflict settings due to the breakdown of traditional social and governance institutions, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress and harmful gender norms, and economic dislocation, among other factors. This report looks at what is known about IPV in conflict settings and focuses on one strategy to improve the situation of survivors: increasing their access to justice. The case of Liberia, a country that has contended with the legacy of conflict and attempted to use legal reforms to combat high rates of IPV, is investigated in depth.
- Topic:
- Women, Conflict, Justice, Intimate Partner Violence, and Gender
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus