Peacekeepers or Perpetrators? An analysis of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by UN personnel in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Some individuals in the western world may find the large scale sexual violence committed against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shocking.They may turn a sympathetic ear to the occasional news report detailing the realities of mass rape, genital mutilation and forced prostitution which face Congo women on a daily basis (Meger 2010; 119-20).However, far too often the horrors over "there" in the third world are promptly forgotten and the conscience assuaged by affirming oneself that responsibility is out of "our" jurisdiction.Amidst this environment UN presence is supposed to function as a beacon of peace and hope.However, amongst UN peacekeepers sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of civilians, most frequently women and girls, in the Congo has proliferated (Murphy, 2006: 532).These specific instances of sexual abuse are part of the larger culture of sexualized violence and exploitation in the Congo.They are an epidemic today, no less real than the spread of HIV/AIDS or famine.More specifically, academics should be concerned with analyzing how constructs of gender enforce and create such behaviours.The question this essay addresses is to what extent feminist theory explains SEA of females in post-conflict DRC by UN personal whom are deployed for the United Nations Organization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).Not only are the incidents of SEA important but the ramifications of these actions; spread of HIV/AIDS, "peacekeeping babies," shame, and the further entrenchment of gender inequalities into society must also be considered (Murphy, 2006: 534-5;Higate, 2007; 100).This essay argues that feminist theory is particularly illuminating in explaining how conceptualizations of gender and resulting unequal power structures cause SEA and shape the reaction of international actors such as the UN.The discourse this essay engages in is normative, which means that it does not detach itself from values to attempt to achieve objectivity rather its depth is enriched by them (Carver et al. 2003:289).The essay will be broken down into seven major sections and, when necessary, subsections that will analyze how corresponding aspects of feminist theory highlight aspects of the case study.The first section considers gender as the unit of analysis and discusses how social conceptions of both masculinity and femininity as a "natural" fosterer of inequality and exploitation.The second section argues that international relations are conflictive and designed to exclude women.The next section discusses how patriarchy characterizes the international system and the impacts this has on the rights of women living in the DRC.The fourth section

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