400 Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies N. 3 / 2014 Inger Skjelsboek analyses experiences during the war in former Yugoslavia. What happened in Bosnia and Kosovo should be regarded as an enlightening example of the start of international commitment to combating serious sexual crimes which had thus far been silenced and therefore tolerated. Valuable lessons can be learned from this experience and new matters and questions have been raised for researchers which require a more in-depth analysis of the area: combating stigmatisation and sexual violence against men, for example. This chapter is a very enriching read for two reasons: it raises new questions on issues that are normally over generalised and draws on a comprehensive and varied bibliography. The analysis of the war in Bosnia is particularly interesting. The author draws our attention to a number of points in this conflict: firstly, the fact that rape was not only committed by Serbs; the existence of “rape camps” where sexual violence was committed as part of an ethnic cleansing plan, and the international community’s classification of these rapes and atrocities as weapons of war before putting an end to the impunity enjoyed up to then with the creation of an international ad hoc tribunal. For the first time in history, it was explicitly recognised that sexual violence had taken place during an armed conflict, and the testimonies and statements taken during the court hearings provide a good starting point for the study of the victims and perpetrators of sexual violence, given that the latter group has so far been overlooked in analyses, despite this being essential, in the author’s opinion. For example, the fact that the perpetrators are primarily uniformed men should prompt an analysis of military and paramilitary organisations and groups, in addition to the different forms and ideologies these take. Defining sexual violence as “a weapon of war” should not prevent the study of the many situations and power relations at play in the context of sexual violence. Skjelsboek has pointed out that it was perhaps the fact that the conflict took place on European soil that prompted the West to identify with the victims and give more significance and credibility to these atrocities than to conflicts that were taking place in more distant lands. When the Kosovo War broke out some years later, international organisations and NGOs were better prepared to provide medical and psychosocial care to the victims of rape, but their work was hindered by the fiercely traditional Albanian culture, which discouraged the victims from reporting the crimes and giving testimonies. Determined to not “fail” this time, the author states that the media and organisations tended towards sensationalism, depriving victims of their dignity and privacy, and also exaggerating the attention that should be afforded to these atrocities which were in no way comparable with the conflict and gender patterns experienced in Bosnia and Rwanda. In chapter five, Tilman Brück and Marc Vothknecht focus on the economic situation of women following conflict and look at the most appropriate tools to promote their empowerment. Understanding that every conflict is unique, the authors are nevertheless able to identify common patterns, thanks to the small amount of
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