Impact
of militarization and armed conflict on women
Kiphuina Newmai
Introduction
The problem of violence against women in the armed
conflict situation or war is usually placed in secondary to the sufferings of
men and is considered as the side effect of the process. The experience and the
trauma that they had to go through is often ignored or neglected. Not only
that, their contribution in trying to bring peace and justice is often met with
disregard and their integrity is always questioned. There is a vast need to acknowledge
that Violence against women is also human right issue and to realize that any
form of violence is an attack on life. This article is an attempt to highlight
the struggles and dilemma of the women in the armed conflict situation
particularly applicable to the North East Region of India as a whole where
armed military and para-military forces are specially empowered with Armed
Forces (Special Power) Act. In this armed conflict situation, mostly the women
and the innocent villagers are the victims of the cruel act of the military
force in the name of counter insurgency. In most cases the atrocities took
place in the remote villages where there are no facilities of transport,
communication and hospital. There is no doubt that women are targeted both by state
and non-state actors, and the non-state actors do commit atrocities. However,
this article focused mainly on the atrocities committed by the Indian security
forces.
In 1974 the United Nation Economic and Social Council’s
Recommendation to the General Assembly with regard to the protection of women
and children in emergency and armed conflict reflected deep concern over the
suffering of women and the civilian population:
All
effort shall be made by the States involved in armed conflict, military operation
in foreign territories and in territories still under colonial domination to
spare women and children from the ravages of war. All necessary steps shall be
taken to ensure the prohibition of measures such as persecution, torture,
punitive measures, degrading treatment and violence, particularly against that
part of the civilian population that consists of women and children… all forms
of repression and cruel and inhuman treatment of women and children, including
imprisonment, torture shooting, mass arrests, collective punishment, …
committed by belligerents in the course of military operation or occupied
territories shall be considered criminal.[1]
After many years since that UN Recommendation was
adopted, women and children continued to be the overwhelming majority of
civilian victims of armed conflicts. In 1998, an incident took place in
Bishnupur district, Manipur where nine people were killed, three of them young
women and two other minors the youngest was a one year old girl. In the retaliation at Tonsen in 1999, out of
nine civilian shot more than four were minors and one of them a girl. Farida
Begum aged fifteen who died on 26th November 1997 had a child on her
back when she was detain and shot by the Rajputana Rifles, and other young
girls were injured in the same incident. Nor have women and children been
spared from detention, ruthless interrogation and severe beating at the hand of
the security forces. In March 1995 the 32nd Assam Rifles detain
eleven years old girl at Yairipok and interrogated her in their camp who committed
suicide two days after the Captain in charge broadcasted the girl’s
interrogation at a public meeting. A fifteen years old girl also committed
suicide after she was frisk and sexually harassed by personnel of the 12th
Grenadiers at Jiribam. There are other instances of minors who died in custody.[2]
These cases show that minors are targeted and even single out as suspect.
Women are
positioned differently in the situation of armed conflict depending on
community and family affiliations. However all women are discriminated
irrespective of what role they play in the conflict. The only difference is the
dimension of violence. Women are placed in the following manner in the armed
conflict situation.
1.
Women
relatives of armed activists: mother, wives, sisters, daughters and partners of
armed activist or armed personnel, who are in the struggle by choice or
otherwise, are impacted upon in the same way. They are also especially targeted
by the state.
2.
Women
relatives of state armed forces: mother, wives, sisters, daughters and partners
of the police, armed personnel and targeted state officials and others, who
have no choice in being part of the conflict and who often remain the forgotten
and invisible other category
3.
Women
militants or combatants: women who are actively involved in the struggle, (a)
by choice, (b) through coercion, or (c) who have become part of the struggle
because of circumstances.
4.
Women
as shelter providers: women who provide food, shelter and labour (as partner)
to the combatant, either as sympathizers or through coercion, and are extremely
vulnerable either way.
5.
Women
as victims of sexual and physical abuse: Mostly uninvolved, innocent civilian
but could also be from any of the other categories, belonging to any age group,
and targeted by both State and non-state abusers.
6.
Women
as peace negotiators: Women leaders who have taken the initiative are not
always supported by the community and extremely vulnerable to suspicions and
attacks by all factions of non-State actors as well as State actors.
7.
Women’s
rights activists: Women activists, who raise critical questions on issues
relating to decreasing democratic spaces, political violence, increased control
over women’s bodies and bodily integrity of women, are extremely vulnerable. In
raising alarming questions about society, about communities, families and about
norms and attitude, these women are often targeted in menacing ways both by the
State and by non-State actors, directly or indirectly.[3]
1. Rape of Women
in War/ Armed Conflict
The most prominent form of women’s participation in
war remains as victims. Awareness is growing that violence against women in
armed conflict is often a conscious policy, not an incidental by-product.
Elizabeth G. Ferris quoted Susan Brownmiller argument that “rape and war go
hand in hand.”[4] On
30 Sep. 2007, During the follow up action of ambushed by insurgents, the troop
of 21 Assam Rifles went rampage in the villages of Manipur, beating, kicking,
abusing and molesting large number of villagers in the most inhuman manner. And
a Manipuri speaking troop is said to have shouted, “We will shoot you in your
private part. Come out all the women. We will rape you.”[5]
This is clear evidence that rape is a deliberate act. History also tells us
that military aggression has always been accompanied by rape and other forms of
sexual abuse. When the Japanese imperial army invaded China and South East Asia
between 1930 and 1945 Japanese soldiers not only raped the women in their path
of conquest, but carried away many thousands of young Korean as “battlefield
prostitutes.”[6]
The girls are said to be the age from 12-17 years.
They were forced to provide sex to Japanese soldiers who wait in line for
60-100 times in weekends. This is a gross violation of the woman’s human right
and humanity as a person.[7]
The United States Army in Vietnam Saigon [8]
are painful reading. It produces immense anger at both the intrinsic racism and
sexism that are always present.”[9]
In Elizabeth G. Ferris observation, the hundreds and thousands of rape victims
were not side effect of the war, but part of a deliberate policy to demoralize
and humiliate the enemy.[10]
2. Women as the
Undefended Civilian
Rape torture and killing are not the only horrors
suffered by women in times of conflict. Most women’s experience of war is not
as combatants or activist but civilians caught in the cross fire. It is
reported that in the First World War, some five percent of casualties were
civilians, by Second World War; estimates are that this increased to 50 or even
75 percent. In the contemporary wars, casualties are over 90 percent civilians.
In other situations where governments are repressive and human rights violation
widespread, women are victims. They are imprisoned, tortured and killed for
their political activities or simply to intimidate their male relatives or
colleagues. Thus women might be abducted in order to pressure her husband or
father or brother or son to turn in.[11]
While exact figure is hard to find, it is obvious that what Jeanne Vickers said
in her book Women and War, holds true
for North East India, that the percentage of civilians killed or disabled in
warfare is climbing sharply, a significant majority of these being women and
children.[12]
Many women in Manipur are victims of such cross fire whether fake or real. The case of Rubina, a five month pregnant
women, who was killed in allege fake encounter[13]
was one of such widely published incident.
3. The Double
Burden for Women
Left to sustain the family and endure the loneness
and vulnerability of separation, women suffer great hardships in wartime. They
and those they care for, may be killed or injured in ethnic fighting or civil
disturbances in spite of being innocent bystanders. Their house may be damaged
or they may flee from home in fear of their lives, dwindling food supplies and
hungry children exacerbated tensions. The loss of husband, father, sons and
brother, who are killed in battle, is added to the longer-term suffering and
further deprivation. Often defenseless against invasion, women can find that
armed conflict means rape and other forms of abuse by occupying troops, as well
as loss of the means of livelihood. Rural women must carry additional
responsibilities while their men folk are absent, left to tend both their farms
and domestic needs, and many have been the cases in which women farmers have
lost their crops first to occupying troops and then to their own.[14]
Physical, sexual, and psychological violence, power,
and abuse frequently coincide, but need not always do so. The very threat of violence
may be more intimidating than actual physical violence and function to instill
fear and insecurity in women’s lives. Atrocities are one of the crucial
mechanism by which women are forced into subordinating position compared to
men.[15]
Women’s suffering from violence against their family members and communities
has been one of the main motivation forces for women’s organizations. While
both mothers and fathers grieves over an imprisoned child or a disappeared
spouse, in culture where a women derives her identity from her role within her
family, such a loss may be deeper for a woman than man, for she has lost not
only a loved one but also part of her reason for being. In societies where
women’s status and welfare depends upon their relationship to men, widows are
often left without means to provide for themselves and their children and many were
concurrently widowed.[16] Women in this position are doubly punished.
4. Result of War
on Women
Wars have other consequences for women. Elizabeth
Ferris take note of Rick Ritter report of considerable evidence that man who
returns from wars are more likely to be violent towards their wives.[17]
As one author writes, militarism and violence against women are inextricably
linked. Military spending not only creates an economic injustice for women, it
supports the ethic of violence against women.[18]
Women also take up arms to end colonial rule or to participate in wars of
liberation or partisan which are often the consequence of people’s lack of
basic necessities as well as an attempt to gain freedom from oppression. They
have been terrorist, or freedom fighters, depending on one’s perspective.[19]
This is true in the case of women in the Northeast and particularly in Manipur
where the Indian Government is regarded as the extension of colonial rule, but
even in this field they are discriminated, particularly in decision-making.[20]
They are generally used in non combatant purposes like medics, public
relations, couriers, extortions, administrative duties, etc.[21]
5. Consequences
of Armed Conflict on Education of Women
The education of the girl child is curtailed either
for security reasons or due to the fact that the schools in the vicinity have
been taken over to house the armed forces or were destroyed. When children had
to travel long distance, girls are more likely to stay at home and girls
disabled, disfigured or mentally affected by the crises were likely to be kept
at home.[22]
The loss of educational opportunities to the girls has the long-term effect of
increasing her vulnerability to exploitation. For the loss of education is also
the loss of a chance for a better life in the future. The loss of education
also inhibits or obstructs women’s participation in decision making bodies.
While personal security is the excuse given for curtailing a girl’s education,
it is not a concern when it comes to women playing their stereotypical work
patterns, which makes them more vulnerable to violence and attacks by rival
groups.[23]
6. Psychological
Traumas
The psychological trauma associated with rape,
sexual violation and with the loss of disappearance of family members lasts
much longer even after peace returns. While the consequence of sexual violence
are physical, emotional and psychologically devastating for women victims, the
survivors of such violation have the burden of silently coping with these post
trauma stress almost without any kind of support. It manifests itself as a deep
breakdown of the individual and feelings of shame and humiliation that are
especially strong. The psychological and emotional scars carried by the victims
and survivors of armed conflict are invisible but the trauma they face is real.[24]
Many women cannot stand the sight of men in uniforms (armies), loud noises,
screams, gunshots or exploding sounds like crackers etc. they are also scared
to go out/be alone.[25]
The psychological trauma that the sexually abused women suffered is echoed
through the “comfort women”. They talk of recurring memories which continually
haunt and hinder them from living in peace. Because they were molested some
women were left behind by their husband and children and ostracized by their
friends and relatives or society as a whole who didn’t understand their plight.
Most of them kept their experiences private secrets thus suffering shame and
trauma alone.[26]
The plight of sexually abused women can be drawn parallel, even if the context
may be different, from what one such woman said:
It
was not much of the physical but of the mental agony I underwent that hurt me
most. …but when I went home … my husband treated me like I have a contagious
disease. And then my relatives also looked down on me. My husband separated my
children from me … they refuse to recognized me as their mother. … I think I
endured and lived because I wanted to see my children again. … I lived a
hundred deaths. … treated me brutally as if I was a machine. But it was also
the same when the war was over and I had to go back to a society cold and
disdainful of me, especially my relatives who knew of the ordeal I underwent.[27]
Flavia Agnes said that, while it is not possible to
remove the trauma of rape, at least it is within the means of the family and
community to change their attitude towards the victim.[28]
If the society is willing to change its attitude towards such victims then the
pain that such victims had to carry will definitely be lighten to a great extent.
7. The Consequence
of war/ Armed Conflict on Women’s Health
Most of the suffering women had endured during war
or conflict is rape and sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a long term
erosion of a victim’s mind, body and spirit. Although it can be expressed in a
variety of ways, sexual harassment victims experience intense anger, often
overwhelming and seemingly uncontrollable. Because it is unsafe to address
these feelings the anger is often stuff or turned inward. Thus a myriad of
physical problems, dysmenorrheal, sleeplessness, migraines, headaches, weight
changes and even cancer is said to occur in the victims.[29]
Violence also
affects the women’s sexual and reproductive lives. Violence obstructs women’s
ability to protect themselves from HIV and other STDs. While pregnancy should
be a time when health and well being of women is especially protected, survey
referred by Lori L. Heise, suggest that pregnant women are prime targets of
abuse. The studies also indicate that women battered during pregnancy run twice
the risk of miscarriage and four times the risk of having low weight baby.[30]
Research also indicates that 50 to 60 percent of women who are raped experience
severe sexual problems, including fear of sex, problem with arousal and
decrease sexual functioning.[31]
Rape victim may also experience symptoms usually associated with extreme fear,
such as pounding heart, shortness of breath, or dizziness and changes in
appetite.[32]
Women had to bear series of consequences that militarization had brought upon
them. However their experience have been sideline from the cases and are not
given due concern. The long suffering they had to endure has not been taken
into account. Therefore they are left to endure and deal with the pain and
suffering alone.
Conclusion
The UN
declaration on the protection of women and children in emergencies and armed
conflicts should be a basic standard for the treatment of women and children in
northeast region of India India
The oppression
of women in the context of militarization like all oppression has its root
pointing to the objectification, domination and exploitation of both mind and
body. Women’s bodies are treated like an item to be used and disposed off at
will. More threatening is that they are treated as sex objects to be used
whenever, wherever and however the armed person chooses to. Women’s body is
used for intimidation and to create terror among the people and to serve as
warning and revenge to their opponents and to humiliate them and curbed their
aspiration. Militarization is one of the reasons for the growth of female
headed households. In the conflict situation such as in north eastern region of
India
Despite the hardships, women continue to
assume the key role of ensuring family livelihood in the midst of turmoil and
destruction and were particularly active in the peace movement at the
grassroots level, cultivating peace within their communities. They try to bring
peace between warring factions by negotiating the two parties in spite of the
risk involve for their lives. They have become a significant voice in
confronting the major question of peace and security.
Liberation is not merely granting of power as
a status or privilege, but it entails mutual change and growth both in men and
women. There is a dire need for alternative understandings of suffering within
the Christian tradition. When suffering is understood as punishment for
personal sin, women who are victims or survivors blame themselves for their
attacker’s actions and forgive the attackers, embraced their suffering like
Christ, or reject their faith. None of these options has to do with real
healing. It is not acceptable to blame the victim, nor is it acceptable to tell
the victim or survivor to embrace her suffering as a sign of her faith.
Christian response to the suffering can be expressed in two ways: justice and
love. When suffering happens as a result of systematic evil, then Christian are
called to fight against injustice, to resist evil, to attempt to liberate the
suffering ones from that which is oppressive.
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Impact of Militarization and Armed
Conflict on Women - Kiphuina Newmai
[1] Jeanne Vickers, Women and War (London & New Jersey:
Zed Books, 1993), 35.
[2]
John Paratt, Wounded Land (New Delhi
[3] Roshmi Goswami, MG Srekala,
Meghna Goswami, Women in Armed Conflict
Situation, (Guwahati: North East Network, 2005), 18-19.
[4] Elizabeth G. Ferris, “Women as
Peace Maker”, in Aruna Ganadason, Musinbi Kanyaro and Lucia Ann McSpadden
ed., Women
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[5] Ms Ibechaobi Devi, Secretary of
Meira Paibi, The Sangai Express, 2 November, 2007. Recorded by Hemo Singh, 212.
[6] Yayori Matsui, “Violence against
Women in Development, militarism, and Culture”, in Ursula King, ed., Feminist Theology From the Third World: a
Reader, (London & New York
[7] Maria Angelica G. Layador, “Cry
for Justice: Pilipino and Asian Comfort Women Speak Out”, War Crime on Asian Women: Military Sexual Slavery by Japan During World
War II, edited by Dan P. Calica & Nelia Sancho (Philippine: The Task
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[8] Now it has changed its name to Ho Chi Minh City
[9] Yayori Matsui, “Violence against
Women in Development, militarism, and Culture”, 130.
[10] Elizabeth G. Ferris, “Women as
Peace Maker”, 8.
[11]
Elizabeth G. Ferris, “Women as Peace Maker”, 8-9.
[12] Jeanne Vickers, Women and War, 23-24.
[13] “BT Road
[14] Jeanne Vickers, women and War, 18.
[15] Corinne Scott, “violence Against
Women/women Against Violence”, Feminist
Theology: Perspective and Praxis, ed., Prasanna Kumari, (Chennai: Gurukul
Summer Institude, 1998), 340.
[16] Jeanne Vickers, women and War, 25.
[17] Elizabeth Ferris take note of a
counsellor’s report from , Cf. Rick Ritter, “Councelling Vets Who Batter”, in Daring to Change: Perspective on
Feminism and Non-violence (New York: Wars Resisters League,1985, that about
one third of the US Vietnam veterans seeking counseling from his centre were
involved in violence against women. Of the veterans who were married before
going to Vietnam
[18] Elizabeth G. Ferris, “women as
peace Maker”, women , Violence and
Nonviolent Change edited by Aruna Ganadason, Musinbi Kanyaro and Lucia Ann McSpadden (Geneva: WCC Publication, 1996), 9.
[19] Jeanne Vickers, Women and War, 19.
[20] Roshmi Goswami, MG Sreekala,
Meghna Goshwami, Women in Armed Conflict
Situations, 97-99
[21] Hemo Singh, Manipur Imbroglio, 147-148.
[22]Ramanath Nayak, “Armed Conflict
and Its Impact on Women: Field Experience from Assam
[23] Roshmi Goswami, MG Srekala,
Meghna Goswami, Women in Armed Conflict
Situation, 109-110.
[24] T. Arenla Ao, “A Theological
Reflection on Atrocities of Naga Women In Armed Conflict”, in Limatula
Longkumer, ed., No More Sorrow in God’s
Garden of Justice, tribal women doing
Theology, women’s studies series
No. 4, (Jorhat: Women’s Dpt. ETC,2007), 29-30.
[25] An interview with Gaibamliu and
Kaigamang Gangmei, witness of Tabanglong the incident 2000, Tamenglong 11th
Jan 2010.
[26] Dan P. Calica & Nelia
Sancho,eds., War Crime on Asian Women:
Military Sexual Slavery by Japan
[27] Dan P. Calica & Nelia
Sancho,eds., War Crime on Asian Women,
48-50.
[28] Flavia Agnes, “The Anti-Rape
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Mandira Sen for Stree, 1993), 149.
[29] Barbara Chester,” Sexual
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Boyajian, eds., Sexual Assault and
Abuse: Hand Book for Clergy and
Religious Professionals (New York: HarperSanFracisco, 1991), 165-166.
[30] Birth weight is a powerful
predictor of a child survival prospects in the first year of life. Lori L.
Heise, “Violence, Sexuality, and women’s Lives”, in Roger N. Lancaster, Macaela
Di Leonardo, eds., The Gender Sexuality
Reader (New York & London: Routledge, 1997), 415.
[31] Lori L. Heise, “Violence,
Sexuality, and women’s Lives”, in Roger N. Lancaster, Macaela Di Leonardo,
eds., The Gender Sexuality Reader
(New York & London: Routledge, 1997), 420-421.
[32] Mary P. Koss, Mary R. Harvey, The Rape Victim: Clinical and Community
Interventions, II ed., (London, New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1991), 173.
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