Languages of castration – male genital mutilation in conflict and its embedded messages

Abstract

This chapter explores the various forms of violence directed against male sexual/reproductive organs in different settings of violent conflict and some of the meanings attached to these acts in these contexts by the various people partaking in the act directly either as victims/survivors, perpetrator, and witnesses or indirectly as audiences. The tendency to not discuss acts of violence against male genital mutilation and its real-life repercussions even where there is evidence of these acts has the potential to render whole categories of victims/survivors invisible. Another key problem with interpreting the ‘languages of castration’ is a lack of research on perpetrator motivations as well as on victims’ and community members’ understandings of the violence and its meanings. The chapter focuses on a review of secondary materials, in addition to which some background interviews were conducted with academic researchers and NGO practitioners working on sexual violence against men and boys (SVAMB) as well as informal discussions with investigators working for international agencies.

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