Displaced Sexuality: a Study of Gender Relations and Sexual Gender-based Violence in the Context of Displacement in Northern Uganda

Sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) is a major threat to women's participation in development efforts. This work examines the impact of displacement on gender relations and SGBV in patriarchal and post-conflict Northern Uganda. More than 20 years of civil war between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Government of Uganda have left their mark on the Acholi people. As a consequence of massive displacement, a large number of men have failed to live up to traditional notions of masculinity, whilst many Acholi girls and women have experienced sexual violence perpetrated both by soldiers and civilians. Through an assessment of local perceptions and experiences of rape, forced sex between intimate partners and transactional sex, this work sheds light on some of the causes of SGBV and the circumstances in which it occurs. It also addresses ways in which SGBV can be prevented, drawing on the experience of various NGO professionals in the field.