What’s Sexual Violence Got To Do with the Economy? The Case of the DRC
By Serena Cruz & Helen Hintjens
In this paper, Serena Cruz and Helen Hintjens propose that in the Democratic Republic of Congo the unholy alliance of economic interests, forced labour, sexual predation, and killings that King Leopold of Belgium established from 1884 onwards resulted in structures of predatory, violence-based capital accumulation that persist today. They discuss how this influences the lives of women on the ground, as well as the ways that the status quo is being challenged.
Serena Cruz will receive her doctoral degree in International Relations from Florida International University at the end of 2015. Her thesis research explored how women manage daily risks associated with HIV/AIDS, criminalization, and sex work in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. Helen Hintjens is Assistant Professor in Development and Social Justice at the International Institute of Social Studies, part of Erasmus University Rotterdam, located in The Hague. In her teaching and published research, she specialises in the politics of refugees in the EU, and post- genocide and post-war reconciliation in the African Great Lakes region.
During the 16 Days Campaign WPP will be releasing articles from its Publication “Women, Peace & Security: Business as Usual?”. Each year, WPP produces a thematic publication, on critical issues affecting the realities of peacebuilding on the ground. This year, our publication will be a critical exploration of the relationship between the private sector and the implementation of the Women, Peace & Security agenda. WPP has chosen to link this publication to the 16 Days Campaign, as this campaign aims to create awareness and action around the connections between militarism, power and patriarchy.
11 Dec '17 This month WPP staff interviewed Arbia Jebali and Sarah Chamekh from Free Sight Association in Tunisia about the work their organization does, how civil society space has changed over the years, which challenges they are facing now, and how civil society in Tunisia is organizing itself to overcome those challenges.
7 Nov '17 In this article, WPP staff interviewed Doron Joles of XminY Fund, an activist organization that supports social movements, action groups and changemakers fighting for a fair, democratic, sustainable and accepting world. He discusses the unique way they have chosen to hand out funds, and the challenges that go along with funding small activist organizations in the current global climate.
25 Oct '17 This Friday, the UNSCR 1325 Open Debate will take place once again, seventeen years since the adoption of landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. In this article WPP staff reflects on the progress made for a truly transformative feminist peace agenda until now.
