Feminist Perspectives on Conflict, Disaster, and Violence against Women: Introduction to the Special Issue

Violence against women (VAW) is widely recognized as a pervasive, global problem that is associated with poor health and economic outcomes for women and children. Women are disproportionately exposed to physical, sexual, and psychological violence during volent conflicts and political upheavals. Similarly, research on disasters indicates a disproportionate impact of such events on women and girls, with an increase in physical and sexual VAW, specific deprivations, and child marriage. This special issue is focused on providing a feminist understanding of the economic drivers and impacts of conflict and disaster on VAW, both within and outside the home. The introduction provides an overview of the contributions and interventions in this special issue, highlighting the complex links between conflict or disaster with VAW. This collection of articles also points to the large gaps in terms of integrating feminist perspectives into the international architecture for post-conflict or post-disaster aid and reconstruction. HIGHLIGHTS VAW is a persistent feature of disruptions due to conflicts and disasters. Disruptions provide opportunities for women to resist and transcend existing gender norms. Robust gender-sensitive risk-reduction strategies mediate negative impacts of disasters. International humanitarian response because of war or disaster does little to reduce risk of VAW. Funding for VAW services reaching survivors remains inadequate within global humanitarian aid.