A forgotten war within a war: An examination of sexual and gender-based violence in the conflict-affected districts of Kitgum and Pader, northern Uganda

It is difficult to imagine a time in human history when a country or region in the world was not engulfed in conflict. Twenty-four hour news channels are now available to remind us that conflict and violence are impacting every corner of the planet. Sexual violence is one of the most common and, yet, unspoken features of war. The twenty-one year conflict in northern Uganda is a prime example. Drawing insights from ethnographic research conducted in the districts of Kitgum and Pader, this thesis examines how sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and its health implications is understood and articulated by a range of primary stakeholders, representing the state and civil society, including local governmental authorities, university faculty, and representatives of local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the area of women's rights. More concretely, this thesis explores the relationship between conflict and HIV/AIDS; provides insight into how women continue to be subjected to SGBV after the conflict has ended; sheds light on how a community responds to sexual violence in the post-conflict setting; as well as, how families negotiate justice for the victim in the absence of an effective criminal justice system within the IDP camp setting.