Guns and Roses: Gender and Armed Violence in Africa

This paper will focus specifically on the nature and extent of armed violence, including sexual violence, against women, both during and after armed conflict as well as within the family domain, thereby illustrating the linkages between the various forms of gender violence. Studies both in Africa and elsewhere show that it is not always possible (nor desirable) to separate women's experience of armed violence from other forms
of violence, such as physical assault and sexual abuse – both in times of armed conflict and in the home. The paper will also briefly describe some of the interventions aimed at addressing this issue, ranging from UN resolutions to local community based programmes.