'Women, Peace and Security': Addressing Accountability for Wartime Sexual Violence

This article examines the issue of accountability for wartime sexual violence within the UN agenda on women, peace and security. The study offers a unique contribution to the growing body of literature on Resolution 1325 by reviewing how the issue of accountability for sexual violence has been treated in peace agreements signed since its adoption in October 2000. The author triangulates data collected from peace agreements with interviews with elite peacemaking practitioners to establish that justice for victims of sexual violence continues to be side-lined. The central argument of this article is that the lack of attention to accountability for sexual violence is symptomatic of larger problems within the UN agenda which is underpinned by a masculinized perception of accountability limited to sanctions and punishment and a narrow focus on sexual violence as a weapon of war. The author argues that unless a holistic approach to justice and accountability and a broader concern with gender-based violence are adopted, the UN's aim of ending impunity for wartime sexual violence will remain unfulfilled.