1. Gang Violence as Armed Conflict: A New Perspective on El Salvador
- Author:
- Anne Applebaum and Briana Mawby
- Publication Date:
- 11-2018
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS)
- Abstract:
- Gang violence is usually considered a criminal rather than a conflict issue. This limits the international community’s willingness to mitigate the violence or provide humanitarian aid. In a new GIWPS policy brief, Anna Applebaum and Briana Mawby argue that widespread gang violence, as found in El Salvador, should be considered a new form of armed conflict. The policy brief documents the impact of pervasive gang violence, which is increasingly similar to experiences of war—including high numbers of civilian casualties and significant migration flows. It also makes the case for a focus on gender to strengthen prevention of and responses to gang violence. As in more conventional conflicts, men often hold the most prominent roles in gangs and in the state response. But women frequently serve as care providers for gang members, and they are increasingly involved in tasks related to transporting weapons or drugs. Violence against women is also a specific tactic used by gangs for control over communities. Due to the high levels of gender-based violence, which gangs contribute to, women make up an increasing proportion of those fleeing. Once gang violence is understood as a security issue as well as a criminal phenomenon, it becomes clear that the WPS agenda is relevant.
- Topic:
- Women, Conflict, Violence, Peace, Gangs, and Gender
- Political Geography:
- Central America and El Salvador