COMPOUNDING SURVIVAL: Past Wartime Sexual Violence and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Allegations on U.N. Peacekeeping Missions

Abstract

Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) is a significant human rights violation that undermines the principles of sending peacekeepers to a region. Despite this, the SEA of civilians by international peacekeepers is rampant on many, but not all, United Nations peacekeeping missions (UNPKOs). Indeed, significant variation exists on missions, and existing research has failed to fully account for it. Few studies have focused on a cross-mission, quantitative analysis of factors responsible for the wide variation in SEA allegations on UNPKOs. In this thesis, I analyze whether the scale of egregious sexual violence in the previous armed conflict (SVAC) impacts rates of SEA on the subsequent UNPKO. I use two models of regression analysis to investigate the broad patterns that characterize the relationship between SVAC and SEA. I find that they have a direct and significant relationship. To substantiate these findings, I conduct qualitative case studies on one mission that fits the pattern and three missions that are exceptions. I find that there are three mechanisms through which SVAC impacts SEA: SVAC increases the sex trade, necessitates UN operated IDP camps, and creates widespread normalization of sexual violence post conflict. All three of these factors make SEA more likely on a UNPKO. I recommend that the UN addresses this by bolstering their monitoring systems, enforcing their existing policies, and improving their training for peacekeepers.