Gendered violence: Beyond her body politic

'By conservative estimates, there are 1,500 'half widows' in Kashmir, says the APDP report. These are women whose husbands have 'disappeared' during the conflict, but have not been confirmed as deceased. These women live a life of perpetual limbo, which is cemented by failed legal mechanisms, and results in economic squalor, social isolation, and psychological trauma. Since the law does not deem them 'widowed,' these women are ineligible for administrative relief, and instead are solely dependent on their individual resilience, which may include begging in burquas (covering out of shame, rather than religion), menial labour, prostitution, or seeking aid from family members. Their children grow up vulnerable to exploitation (even child labour or abuse in orphanages) and impoverishment; face lack of education; and suffer psychological damage...

Beyond spending time on photo-ops to assess whether a woman minister is simply a prop or something to be taken seriously, or news-cycles that assassinate the character of yet another woman who alleges rape, the citizens, their governments, and the media would be wise to spend time understanding and responding to the gendered effects of protracted conflict. Just as peace and security discussions require lesser fixation on the sex or appearance of the political leader across the table, peace and security generation requires an investigation into women's overall experiences, beyond fleeting, sordid fascinations with direct inflictions on their bodies.'

- Mallika Kaur, 'Gendered violence: Beyond her body politic.'