CIAO DATE: 05/05

Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention: Incorporating the Gender Variable

Abstract

The gender variable is one of the least-analyzed and most misunderstood elements of genocidal killing. This paper seeks to develop the authors inclusive framing of "gendercide" i.e., gender-selective mass killing, by exploring the relevance of gender to genocide prevention and humanitarian intervention. Among the specific arguments to be advanced is that the genocidal or prot-genocidal targeting of males, especially "battle-age" me, is one of the most reliable indicators of the onset, or impending onset, of full-scale genocide. In the three "classic" genocides of the twentieth century, for example - against the Armenian community in Turkey, European Jews, and the Tutsis of Rwanda - full-scale genocide was preceded by a wide range of gender-selective measures, including mass roundups and localized killings of men. The demonization of out-group males was a key feature of the propaganda discourse that paved the way for genocide. In addition, the initial stages of all these genocides overwhelmingly targeted males for extermination, a phenomenon that is also evident in numerous contemporary and historical cases. Associated patterns of demonization of "out-group" women, and abuses including rape and sexual assault, need to be factored into the analysis.

Full Text (PDF, 55 pages, 3.62 MB)