The complex and multilayered interdependence of health and security gets exceedingly obvious in conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV); however, its scientific study is exceptionally invisible. Political unrest increases incidence of gender-based violence (GBV). Rapes, including gang rapes, and forced insertion into the female genitalia of foreign bodies such as bottles, sticks, and weapons can lead to injury of the vagina and the development of traumatic vaginal fistulas (TVF). This paper aims to give structure to the particular characteristics of traumatic vaginal fistula in conflict settings and its immanent linkage to human security. The authors reviewed all papers concerning prevalence and causes of CRSV-caused TVF (CRSV-TVF) that were available on PubMed and GoogleScholar in February 2021. Findings were integrated into feminist theory on CRSV to identify the connecting linkages of security, health, and gender equality. CRSV-caused TVF illustrate well the complex interdependences of health and security: (1) insecurity leads to a higher prevalence of sexual violence; (2) sexual violence can serve as a weapon of war; (3) insecurity prolongs sufficient medical care; (4) vaginal fistula impede female empowerment and societal development. The multiple threads of their connection reveal several implications for the prevention and treatment of TVF. The reciprocal connection of CRSV and security exemplifies a vicious circle of health security.

Depuis les années 2000, les « violences faites aux femmes » (VFF) font l’objet d’un traitement politique sans précédent. Cette publicité, fruit des luttes et des revendications féministes, est aussi le produit d'une histoire institutionnelle qui fait l'objet de cette recherche. Cette thèse porte sur les évolutions de l'encadrement étatique de la protection des victimes de violences de genre depuis les services d'aide proposés au sein même des groupes des tiers secteurs. Elle analyse ainsi comment les « coûts » des politiques de protection de lutte contre les VFF reproduisent du genre. Ces politiques sont analysées à travers une réflexion matérialiste sur la « protection institutionnalisée » (Brown, 1995) et en pensant le travail associatif/communautaire autour des violences avant tout un travail de soin. Trois niveaux d’analyse y sont explorés : celui des politiques publiques, celui, intermédiaire des relations entre l’État et les groupes des tiers secteurs, et celui plus sensible des pratiques de travail d’intervention. Cette recherche repose sur les monographies de quatre associations et organismes communautaires d’accompagnement des travailleuses du sexe et d’aide aux femmes victimes de violence conjugale en France et au Québec. La démarche méthodologique combine des entretiens sous forme de « récits de pratique » avec les intervenant·es et les directions de ces organisations et une analyse documentaire des politiques qui encadrent leur travail. L’angle des financements montre que les organismes sont utilisés comme des instruments de mise en oeuvre des politiques publiques. La comparaison met en lumière différentes stratégies et réponses des organismes. Cette dépendance contraint aussi le travail d'intervention dont la charge administrative s'alourdit et tend à réduire la part de soin pourtant inhérente à la relation d'aide. Ensuite, la thèse montre que l'institutionnalisation des politiques de lutte contre les VFF s'accompagne d'une mise sous contrainte des droits à l'aide et à la protection. Si la mise à l’agenda politique des violences de genre est le fruit de plus larges revendications contre le poids du mariage et le contrôle de la sexualité des femmes, lorsqu’elles sont intégrées dans le langage de l'action publique, sa définition tend à se resserrer sur des notions de risque social ou de crime. / Since the 2000s, “violence against women” (VAW) has raised political interest on an unprecedented scale. This exposure is the result of feminist demands and struggles. But it is also the result of an institutional history which is at the heart of this research. The focus of this thesis is the expanding role of the state in regulating the protection of gender-based abuse victims. The research takes the standpoint of social services within nonprofit organizations. It analyzes the costs of VAW protection policies and how they reproduce gender oppression. These policies are analyzed through a materialist reflection on “institutionalized protection” (Brown, 1995) and by considering nonprofit work with victims first and foremost as care work. This thesis provides three levels of analysis: public policies, the relations between the State and nonprofit organizations, and finally, on a more tangible level, I analyze social work practices. This research is based upon the monographs of four non-profit organizations: supporting sex workers and assisting women victims of domestic abuse in France and Quebec. From a methodological perspective, this research combines narrative interviews of the organizations’ workers and head of staff, with a literature review of policies governing their work. The study of funding shows that nonprofit organizations are used as tools to implement public policies. The comparison highlights different strategies and differentiated responses from organizations. Organizations’ reliance on public funding restrains social work. The administrative burden limits the part of care pivotal to social work. The thesis demonstrates further that institutionalization of policies on VAW leads to a restriction of the rights to assistance and protection. Political awareness of gender-based violence falls within broader reassessments of issues such as marital pressure and the policing of women’s sexuality. But when it comes to state action, it tends to be conflated to social risk and crime.

The work for female empowerment is prominent on the Unguja island of Zanzibar. Governmental support and local and international organizations are investing in women to achieve gender equality. The government of Tanzania has added changes to the law to protect women and prevent gender-based violence, as well as strategic measures to assist the stakeholders of the Zanzibarian society. Simultaneously, the reports of gender-based violence (GBV) are increasing on the islands according to the Zanzibar Female Lawyer Association. The study explores the measures taken by the government to eliminate violence against women with a focus on the role of the man in these structural social and legal changes. The study also shows the challenges that the added laws have faced in practice, and the balance between culture and legal system in a society, when a change is to take place.

In 2022 Russia illegally invaded Ukraine starting a full-scale war against the country. The war has had severe humanitarian concerns for the civilian population, one of the consequences being increased levels of GBV and CRSV. This research paper analyzes the implications of GBV and the use of CRSV in the war against Ukraine, exploring vulnerable groups and pre-existing patriarchal structures affecting those exposed to the violence. The paper also explores challenges and ways to respond to these issues, providing recommendations to humanitarian and international actors supporting Ukraine in responding to these issues. This qualitative study is based on interviews with professionals working for humanitarian and international organizations in or with Ukraine in the fields of GBV, CRSV and gender providing knowledge on the situation on the ground and insights into local culture and norms, as well as secondary data. The conducted research shows that women and girls are a vulnerable group towards different forms of GBV, such as domestic violence and trafficking in times of war and peace, and CRSV, such as rape. Pre-existing patriarchal structures and traditional norms increases the threat towards women and girls being exposed to violence committed by men. It also indicates that the levels of GBV and CRSV, with violence in different forms such as domestic violence, trafficking, and rape, has increased since the escalation of the war, and that the rate of GBV will continue to increase after the war ends. Recommendations to humanitarian and international actors include working localized and focusing on the re-building of systems responding to GBV that existed prior to the war, promoting a survivor-centered approach in meeting survivors through training of staff, and raising awareness around GBV, CRSV, patriarchal structures and mental health to prevent violence against women and girls in the long-term.

Producing information today is unprecedented in both speed and accessibility. This is a benefit of living in these IT times. There is more knowledge available than ever before, which is as fantastic as it is problematic. It leaves both the producer and the user of this information responsible for assessing and interpreting it. This thesis has investigated what information has been produced on conflict related SGBV by the World Bank and the ICRC to see what representations have been established. Several documents from each organization have been collected, coded and thematically analyzed by using intersectionality and structural violence as theoretical lenses. These theoretical frameworks complemented each other in their use in this study as intersectionality was employed to look at what certain portrayals might mean for individuals, and structural violence was used to look at what the result meant on a larger scale. Ultimately, this thesis arrived at the conclusion that the portrayal of conflict related SGBV by the World Bank and ICRC is problematic. No organization is misrepresenting more than the other, but they do struggle on different themes. Overall, the main risk an organization runs when writing about this topic is to portray women as the only demographic group affected and the image that all women survivors are the same in that they are female. This leaves the consumer of this information with the assumption that conflict related SGBV only affects women, because they are women. This is wrong and it is problematic, as this thesis will explain in detail, along with other representations and analytical conclusions.

Bakgrund Våld mot kvinnor är ett globalt folkhälsoproblem som drabbar alla åldrar och samhällsklasser och strider mot mänskliga rättigheter. Våld i nära relationer är centralt för våldsutsatta kvinnor. Sjukvården och vårdarbetarna har en betydande roll för våldsutsatta kvinnor kring stöttning, vård och identifiering av kvinnors våldsutsatthet. Dock kan mötet med våldsutsatta kvinnor vara tufft för sjuksköterskor och vårdarbetare då det är lätt att ta med arbetet hem till privatlivet. Syfte Syftet var att beskriva våldsutsatta kvinnors erfarenheter och upplevelser av bemötandet från hälso- och sjukvårdpersonal.  Metod En litteraturöversikt vars resultat bygger på tio kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar. Vid datainsamling användes databaserna PubMed, Cinahl Complete och Nursing & Allied Health Premium. Resultat Resultatet visade att två huvudteman med nio tillhörande underteman låg till grund för våldsutsatta kvinnors erfarenheter och upplevelser av bemötandet från hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal. Tema 1. Vikten av ett empatiskt bemötande; Att känna sig omhändertagen; Att bli tillfrågad om våld; Känslor av skam; Att känna rädsla; Att känna sig förminskad; Vikten av en förtroendefull relation. Tema 2. Vårdmiljöns betydelse av mötet; Tidsbrist; Brist på kontinuitet; Brist på integritet. Slutsats Våldsutsatta kvinnors erfarenheter och upplevelser av bemötandet från hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal beskrevs som en dualitet mellan lidande och omhändertagande. Sambanden mellan kvinnornas berättelser låg i vårdens empatiska bemötande och vårdmiljön. / Background Violence against women is a global public health issue that affects all ages and social classes and violates human rights. Domestic violence is an essential form of violence against women. Healthcare and caregivers play a significant role for women exposed to violence in providing support, care, and identifying women's vulnerability to violence. However, the encounter with abused women can be challenging for nurses and healthcare workers, as it is easy to carry the work home into their personal lives. Aim The aim was to describe abused women’s experiences of being cared for by healthcare professionals. Method A literature review whose results are based on ten qualitative scientific articles. The databases PubMed, Cinahl Complete and Nursing & Allied Health Premium were used for data collection. Results The results indicated that two main themes with nine associated sub-themes formed the basis for abused women’s experiences of being cared for by healthcare professionals. Theme 1: The importance of empathetic treatment; Feeling cared for; Being asked about violence; Feelings of shame; Feeling fear; Feeling diminished; The importance of a trusting relationship. Theme 2: The importance of the care environment for the meeting; Lack of time; Lack of continuity; Lack of integrity. Conclusions Abused women’s experiences of being cared for by healthcare professionals were described as a duality between suffering and care. The connections between women's narratives lay in the empathetic approach of the healthcare and the care environment.

The purpose of this thesis is to emphasize the significance of narrative in giving voice to survivors of gender-based violence, and in breaking the silence surrounding this issue – matters that statistical reports tend to overlook. The voices of survivors of gender-based violence are often disregarded or not heard in statistical reports, despite their significance for understanding and addressing it. Therefore, I seek to deepen our understanding of the consequences of gender-based violence by reading survivors’ narratives alongside a number of philosophical thinkers who are not typically read together, but whose work can contribute to a better understanding of the violence itself and the narration that arises in its wake, namely Adriana Cavarero, Susan J. Brison, Kelly Oliver, and María Lugones.  By applying several philosophical concepts to listen to what the narratives of the victims express, I also intend to contextualize them within a larger societal framework, to better understand the impact of gender-based violence. I will be drawing from Susan Brison’s concept aftermath, Adriana Cavarero’s discussion of relating narratives, horrorism, and narrative against destruction, as well as María Lugones’s concept “world”-travelling. The narratives I engage tend to convey that gaslighting is a significant aspect of the abuse, which is why I choose to analyze it with reference to Kelly Oliver’s work.  My hope is that my thesis will complement and enrich the quantitative and statistical approach represented by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. I prioritize the voices of survivors, allowing their narratives to guide the discourse. This approach, influenced by Cavarero, emphasizes the importance of centering the experiences of those directly affected by violence, and by listening to their stories I want to increase awareness and understanding of the violence perpetrated against them. In the face of what Cavarero calls ontological violence, it becomes important to start listening to the voices of the survivors, as they need to be heard. I also aim to initiate societal debates and actions that can lead to change and support for those affected by gender-based violence.

This qualitative case study examines technology-facilitated gender-based violence in relation to network hospitality platform Couchsurfing.com. Motivated by experiences of many women, including my own, and an identified research gap in the academia on the topic, the research seeks to understand how Couchsurfing.com facilitates gender-based violence, with a specific focus on women. The present research is based on a single, explanatory case study methodology, focused on the thematic of analysis of the podcast “Verified”, concerning the case of Italian Couchsurfer and policeman Dino Maglio, who systematically drugged and sexually assaulted his Couchsurfing guests. Key findings highlight how Couchsurfing enabled and perpetuated gender-based violence, by not preventing the creation of new profiles and possible retaliation against negative references, and most importantly, by never admitting to any responsibility. While this violence was facilitated by Couchsurfing.com, other hegemonic social structures and institutions were found in the study to be further perpetuating this violence, in particular the police and the judiciary system. While acknowledging the limitation of a single case study, this master’s thesis contributes to an ever-increasing body of literature on technology-facilitated gender-based violence by shedding light on the different dynamics at play in an online-to-offline Couchsurfing exchange.

Power imbalances and gender-based violence (GBV) have increasingly been cited as important determinants putting women at risk of HIV infections. Studies have shown that globally one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. The study explored working women’s perceptions of power, gender-based violence and HIV-infection risks. A qualitative, explorative study was conducted among female employees in an airline business in Namibia. Five women participated in in-depth, face-to-face interviews. The findings show that all of the participants experienced power imbalances and GBV in their intimate relationships. All of the women reported emotional or psychological abuse, whilst the majority were subjected to economic abuse, followed by physical abuse, and two alleged having been sexually abused. The study concludes with specific recommendations for the development and successful implementation of workplace policy and programmes to protect and promote women’s rights. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

The thesis Framing of Me Too Campaign in Selected Czech Media examines how selected Czech newspapers and magazines represented the Me Too movement. This movement is considered to be an example of hashtag activism which relates to sexual harassment and gender based violence. This thesis draws both from theoretical and analytical concept of media framing. Using qualitative analysis based on grounded theory approach - more specifically open and axial coding - the research aims at identification and description of news frames that appears in analysed articles. The sample is composed of selected articles published at newspapers and magazines, including Hospodářské noviny Lidové noviny, Právo, Blesk, Reflex, Blesk pro ženy and Respekt. Axial coding stage revealed ten news frames which were integrated into three major categories: (1) Social consequences of the Me Too movement (2) Me Too in the context of Czech Republic and (3) Film festivals (and awards) in the light of the Me Too movement.