‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC

The UN’s Zero Tolerance Policy, which bans all relationships between UN staff and locals, portrays all relationships as exploitative, fails to account for nuances in these relationships and does not acknowledge the agency of local women or communities. This study uses community-based qualitative dat...

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Main Authors: Jessica F. Petz, Gloria Nguya, Martin Baguma Nguba, Allison Goebel, Sabine Lee, Susan A. Bartels
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Global Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17441692.2023.2291698
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author Jessica F. Petz
Gloria Nguya
Martin Baguma Nguba
Allison Goebel
Sabine Lee
Susan A. Bartels
author_facet Jessica F. Petz
Gloria Nguya
Martin Baguma Nguba
Allison Goebel
Sabine Lee
Susan A. Bartels
author_sort Jessica F. Petz
collection DOAJ
description The UN’s Zero Tolerance Policy, which bans all relationships between UN staff and locals, portrays all relationships as exploitative, fails to account for nuances in these relationships and does not acknowledge the agency of local women or communities. This study uses community-based qualitative data from eastern DRC that shares narratives on a wide variety of consensual relationships between peacekeepers and local women. Our paper uses a data-driven approach, including a post-colonial feminist lens, and ideas of structural agency to provide an expanded definition of agency that invites readers to re-examine their views of women in conflict settings. Finally, we provide clear recommendations for the UN and other international non-governmental agencies on policies related to sexual exploitation and abuse.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
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series Global Public Health
spelling doaj-art-6b05b48c244e42e1a5ea809c3080a8232025-08-20T02:19:52ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGlobal Public Health1744-16921744-17062024-12-0119110.1080/17441692.2023.2291698‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRCJessica F. Petz0Gloria Nguya1Martin Baguma Nguba2Allison Goebel3Sabine Lee4Susan A. Bartels5Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaSolidarité Féminine Pour La Paix et le Développement Intégral, Bunia, DR CongoEnvironmental Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaDepartment of History, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UKDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaThe UN’s Zero Tolerance Policy, which bans all relationships between UN staff and locals, portrays all relationships as exploitative, fails to account for nuances in these relationships and does not acknowledge the agency of local women or communities. This study uses community-based qualitative data from eastern DRC that shares narratives on a wide variety of consensual relationships between peacekeepers and local women. Our paper uses a data-driven approach, including a post-colonial feminist lens, and ideas of structural agency to provide an expanded definition of agency that invites readers to re-examine their views of women in conflict settings. Finally, we provide clear recommendations for the UN and other international non-governmental agencies on policies related to sexual exploitation and abuse.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17441692.2023.2291698AgencyDemocratic Republic of Congopeacekeepingsexual exploitationsexual abuseUnited Nations
spellingShingle Jessica F. Petz
Gloria Nguya
Martin Baguma Nguba
Allison Goebel
Sabine Lee
Susan A. Bartels
‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC
Global Public Health
Agency
Democratic Republic of Congo
peacekeeping
sexual exploitation
sexual abuse
United Nations
title ‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC
title_full ‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC
title_fullStr ‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC
title_full_unstemmed ‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC
title_short ‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC
title_sort at the end of their relationship that man offered her a house qualitatively exploring congolese women s agency in navigating sexual relations with un peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern drc
topic Agency
Democratic Republic of Congo
peacekeeping
sexual exploitation
sexual abuse
United Nations
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17441692.2023.2291698
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