Sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers - PeaceWomen

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Carlyn van der Mark
Political Science Master Thesis - Sexual exploitation and UN peacekeepers
A liberal feminist approach highlights the causes in which women are subjected to a
subordinate position in society within a positivist framework (Tickner, Sjoberg, 2010, p.199).
By using a liberal feminist approach, certain problems that occur disproportionately towards
women can be identified. These include income inequalities between women and men,
human rights violations such as trafficking and rape in war (Tickner, Sjobery, 2010, p.199).
The failure of the zero tolerance policy will be examined by using a liberal feminist approach.
The theory will help examine the inequalities that are presented during a peacekeeping
mission that attributes to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse. For example, the
liberal feminist approach will help identify the variable examining resource allocation. The
liberal feminist approach explores the intricacies in indicating a supply and demand cycle
between the oppressors and oppressed in allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse.
Methodology in explaining the failure of the zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation
and abuse
This section of the thesis outlines the dependent and independent variables that are used to
explain factors that cause for the failure of the zero tolerance policy. The dependent variable
is the failure of the zero tolerance policy. The three independent variables are the social
masculinities and the peacekeeper, accountability measures and the domestic context of the
peacekeeping mission. The following section will explain the variables along with data
collection and hypothesizes that will be used to relation to the failure of the zero tolerance
policy.
The failure of the zero tolerance policy
The failure of the U.N‟s zero tolerance policy is the dependent variable for this analysis. The
U.N‟s definition of sexual exploitation is “any actual or attempted abuse of a position of
vulnerability, differential power, or trust for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to,
profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another”
(A/59/710). The Secretary-General released a bulletin in 2003 outlining prohibitions of
sexual exploitation and abuse. Section three of the bulletin provides 6 behavioral instances
that are prohibited by the zero tolerance policy (ST/SGB/2003/13). These instances include
the prohibition of sexual relations with children below 18, prohibition of exchange of goods
for services of sex, no sexual relationships based on unequal power dynamics, the importance
of reporting sexual abuses, disciplinary action if such conduct persists, and United Nations