Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa
“RAPE TAKES PLACE GRADUALLY, NOT SUDDENLY” – An analysis of the realities of SGBV in WAU (Western Bahar El Ghazal, South Sudan)
Cover artwork by: Hussein Mirghani Design by: Diana Namanda
Published December 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented including copying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa P.O. Box 2793 Kampala – Uganda www.sihanet.org ©SIHA Network 2023
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper has been compiled and written by Dr. Lyn Ossome. SIHA is deeply grateful to the many interview and focus group participants whose testimony has fuelled the analysis and findings presented in this publication. SIHA is also deeply grateful to the grassroots women activists and organisations who collaborated with SIHA in the production of this research.
“Rape takes place gradually, not suddenly” – An analysis of the realities of SGBV in Wau (Western Bahar El Ghazal, South Sudan)
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Table of Contents BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY___________________________________________ 1 BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW________________________________ 2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH__________________________________________ 5 CONTEXT AND MAJOR ACTORS___________________________________________ 6 THE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE_________________________________________ 8 KEY EMERGING THEMES_________________________________________________ 10 High reporting of rape with shifting cultural motivations________________ 10 Low medical capacity (equipment and personnel)______________________ 10 Categorization of survivors_____________________________________________ 10 Community views regarding the OSC__________________________________ 11 Tension between (il)legality and SRHR_________________________________ 11 Poor medical infrastructure____________________________________________ 11 Proof of age and the problem of ‘legitimate’ survivors of rape___________ 12 Increasing awareness and higher reporting of rape cases_______________ 13 Economic hardship as a driver of rape reporting & false reporting_______ 13 Tribal/Ethnic dimensions in GBV_______________________________________ 13 Effectiveness and/or authority of the traditional leaders_________________ 14 Anatomy of rape (under 18 years)_______________________________________ 15 Funding women’s activism in schools and communities seem to work _ 17 Disconnect between the ‘political’ and the administrative______________ 17 Narrow focus of government’s reproductive health agenda_____________ 18 What are the real drivers of rape reporting?____________________________ 18 CHALLENGES IN THE RESPONSES TO SGBV______________________________ 19 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS________________________________________________22 On the administrative structure_______________________________________22 On the social and cultural structure____________________________________22 On the judicial/legal structure_________________________________________23 On the traditional/customary structure________________________________23 On community sensitization alongside awareness_____________________23 On the organisation response structure _______________________________23 References:_______________________________________________________________25 Annex 1: List of participants interviewed__________________________________25
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“Rape takes place gradually, not suddenly” – An analysis of the realities of SGBV in Wau (Western Bahar El Ghazal, South Sudan)
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY There is something meaningful to be said about devolved structures, about proximity to communities, about familiarity, about war and the collective instinct for survival, about commitment to collective wellness that flows from it, and about the solidarity economies that emerge from surviving violence and disintegration that spans decades. These traits bind communities around common interests, although they do not necessarily overcome differences of class, gender, and ethnicity, especially where economic pressures persist. There is also something to be said about how resources flow within these devolved structures from central governments and partner organisations through civil society and horizontally within the community. Lastly, there is something to be said about the place that gendered violence occupies in the postconflict consciousness of the people, which is often subsumed by generalised violence and therefore does not necessarily overcome the traditional structures and cultural fundamentalisms that drive localised/civil wars. While women’s rights and feminist activists are drawn to responses to gendered violence, they largely remain excluded by culture and masculinist norms from responses to generalised violence, thus raising as a substantive question the possibility of achieving human/women’s rights and human dignity. These are the tensions and contradictions that this report seeks to highlight in its review and analysis of the institutional responses, infrastructures, and mechanisms related to sexual violence experienced by underage girls and women, following a study conducted in Wau county in August 2023. Women and girls in different countries across the region are largely carrying the burden of armed conflict and are exposed to various atrocities. The purpose of this study was twofold; i) to examine in more detail the nature (and implications) of the violence perpetrated against girls under 18 years old, and the factors that determine why some cases are successfully pursued through the legal system and some are not, and ii) to address ‘missing’ data among women 18 years old and above. Among the questions asked were: what are the factors influencing the low reporting of cases of sexual violence among women over 17 years old? Additionally, the study sought to determine the current mechanisms, processes, and criteria in place that address the increasing cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) among women and girls, the participation of women and girls in these processes, as well as the effectiveness of these mechanisms in addressing the identified priorities of women and girls. Criteria is an important consideration for determining what measures of effectiveness should be applied in this sort of study. How relevant are the mechanisms being applied in the particular cultural context being studied? For instance, are the mechanisms emerging from development discourse and international law, or do they emanate organically from community learning? It is expected that the results of the study will be used to advocate for better protection and support services among different actors, including local and international organisations that are part of the GBV Cluster, national and local leaders as they come together to demand better protection for women and girls. The work complements and builds on other work by SIHA Network and taps into the growing networks of women and girls’ activism across the region. The study also highlights existing challenges and gaps to reporting and access to services. “Rape takes place gradually, not suddenly” – An analysis of the realities of SGBV in Wau (Western Bahar El Ghazal, South Sudan)
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