Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Fighters, not victims: on victimhood recognition and gender representations in the enslavement charges in the Ongwen case.

Sánchez Mera, Silvina

Authors



Abstract

In the Ongwen case, according to the OTP women were abducted to be wives and men to be soldiers, women were forced to work and men forced to fight. The OTP brought enslavement charges for some of these crimes. Absent from the charges was the forced fighting of men. This paper discusses the crime of enslavement in the Ongwen case. By combining a doctrinal analysis and a feminist approach, the author seeks to show how gender representations emerge in the application of the law in detriment of men’s victimhood. The author argues that the application of the law responds to gender representations in war. Men are not perceived to be victims once they become 'soldiers'. Likewise, for women, the effect is their continuous perception as non-fighters and victims of war. This leads to reinforcing those representations, to lack of acknowledgment of victimhood for men and to reducing the experiences of women.

Citation

SÁNCHEZ MERA, S. 2023. Fighters, not victims: on victimhood recognition and gender representations in the enslavement charges in the Ongwen case. International criminal law review [online], 23(5-6), pages 782-803. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1163/15718123-bja10164

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 21, 2023
Online Publication Date Oct 20, 2023
Publication Date Dec 31, 2023
Deposit Date Feb 14, 2024
Publicly Available Date Feb 19, 2024
Journal International criminal law review
Print ISSN 1567-536X
Electronic ISSN 1571-8123
Publisher Brill Academic Publishers
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 23
Issue 5-6
Pages 782-803
DOI https://doi.org/10.1163/15718123-bja10164
Keywords Enslavement; Forced fighting; Gender representations; Ongwen; Victimhood recognition
Public URL https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2218130

Files




You might also like



Downloadable Citations