Women as a Tool of Psychological Warfare: Behavioral/Psychological Analysis of Wartime Rape based on Cross-National Evidence (1939-2017)

Abstract

Sexual violence in armed conflict is a psychological weapon and an expression of hegemonic masculinity over women. In order to better comprehend the issue and determine how deeply embedded it is, this paper investigates the motivations behind systematic rapes that occur during armed conflicts. We examine three case studies in an effort to uncover patterns in the underlying motivations, identify gaps in the existing research and documentation of such war crimes, and spot barriers in the preventative measures. Here, three objectives have been highlighted as being particularly consistent and crucial throughout the history of wars and conflicts. Ethnic cleansing, the problematic notion of ‘manhood' and the objectification of women, opportunism and vengeance are discussed in light of the rape incidents of World War II, Rwandan Civil War and Rohingya conflict in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. The events of massive rape campaigns we discussed in this paper, left several nations huge burden of war spoils and complex societal issues. Raped women are excluded from the society, becomes unmarriageable and loses value in these social settings. War babies are born and brought with tremendous trauma and in a crisis of paternal identity. The idea that rape is no longer employed as a weapon of mass destruction in today's high-tech age of warfare is perhaps the worst misconception about it. The lack of visibility paves the way to such misconceptions. The heinous crimes are still going on in most of the wars and conflicts. Many survivors of rape and other sexual violence offenses are reluctant to come forward because of shame and stigma. In refugee camps, during house-to-house inspections, and as part of interrogations, rapes and gang rapes are all documented in many UN reports. Rape campaigns that occur during wars have only recently come to the attention of world leaders as a threat to peace and security on a worldwide scale. The phenomenon was brought to light in large part by feminist scholars in the late 1990s. Therefore, this paper also discusses the significance of a feminist viewpoint on war.