Date of Award

Summer 2024

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Political Science, PhD

Program

School of Social Science, Politics, and Evaluation

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Yi Feng

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Jacek Kugler

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Pierre Englebert

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Tanu Kumar

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Chisanga Chanda

Keywords

Empirical analysis, Feminist theory, Gender-based violence, Government of India, Rape violence, United Nations

Subject Categories

International Relations | Political Science

Abstract

The weaponization of rape in International Relations is often analyzed through the lens of Realism, focusing on cases where rape is systematically used as a tactic of war by enemy combatants or as “spoils of war”. This phenomenon is evidenced by high-profile incidents in World War II Japan (1941), Cambodia (1975), Guatemala (1978), Bosnia (1992), and Rwanda (1994). More recently, terrorist groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria have used rape to bind recruits to the group, and ISIS in Iraq has promised women as rewards and motivation. Such cases meet the criteria for the strategic deployment of rape to terrorize, demoralize, or ethnically cleanse populations.

The sole focus on rape by enemy combatants during conflict is neither theoretically nor empirically justified. While conflict-related sexual violence is devastating, it represents just one aspect of a broader and more pervasive problem. Rape is a systemic and deeply ingrained issue that occurs even in times of peace, often perpetrated by ordinary individuals within the nation. Understanding these peacetime dynamics allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the behavior and attitudes that are merely exacerbated during conflict.

Chapter one examines how the United Nations (UN) has addressed rape violence by framing it as a human rights issue and an impediment to liberal democracy and economic development. The chapter explores various UN initiatives and resolutions that emphasize the critical need to combat rape and other forms of gender-based violence. This global perspective highlights the widespread impact of rape and aligns with feminist theory’s emphasis on addressing structural gender-based discriminations that foster such violence.

Chapter Two presents the feminist theory of violence, offering a framework for understanding the structural and systemic factors that contribute to gender inequalities, particularly rape violence. This chapter tests several hypotheses related to the impact of male-dominated religions, social hierarchies, demographic imbalances, socioeconomic disparities, cultural norms, and biased judicial systems. However, most of these implications are rejected due to methodological challenges.

In response to these identified issues, Chapter Three aims to better align the empirical model with the theoretical framework provided by feminist theory. This is achieved by simplifying the model and focusing on two key independent variables: tribes and eve-teasing. These variables were selected through a data-driven approach, which revealed their strong statistical significance in India.

The first key variable—tribal communities—is underscored by the government of India’s own admission of its struggle to integrate these communities due to their regional isolation. It is hypothesized that isolation exacerbates the vulnerability of tribal women to both intra-community sexual violence (consistent with feminist theory’s emphasis on traditional gender roles that subjugate women) and inter-community violence perpetrated by outsiders from higher castes and tribes. The unique socio-cultural dynamics within tribal communities, including traditional practices and social structures, often leave women without adequate protection and support, making them more susceptible to rape violence.

Furthermore, the analysis of the government’s approach reveals how failures in addressing eve-teasing—a culturally specific term for public sexual harassment—can lead to aggressive levels of gender-based violence, such as rape. Feminist theory advocates for stringent laws to deter such behaviors, emphasizing that social shaming alone is rarely sufficient to prevent deviant behavior. The persistence of eve-teasing reflects a broader societal tolerance for gender-based harassment, which can escalate into more severe forms of gender-based violence. By honing in on these specific variables, the empirical model not only gains robustness but also aligns more closely with the core tenets of feminist theory that emphasize the importance of addressing structural and systemic discriminations to prevent violence against women.

ISBN

9798383702284

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