Thomas E. Wikstøl, a BSIS alumnus, writes on the silence of male/male rape victims in Burundi and DRC for ‘Insight on Conflict’ this month.
In his article, Thomas argues that ‘increasing evidence shows that men are also the victims of rape within conflicts and war. We need to understand that men are not only perpetrators, but can also be victims of sexual violence, if we are to end their stigmatization and provide them with support’
‘Rape within war and conflict is far from new. But although the victims of rape are predominantly female, increasing evidence illustrates that men also fall victim to rape. For example, research undertaken by Sandesh Sivakumaran shows that sexual violence against men has been documented in the conflicts in Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Burundi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to mention only a few. However, in comparison to female victims of rape, male victims of rape rarely come forward. Have strong ideas of masculinity created a permanent separation between men as perpetrators and women as victims? Is it more “acceptable” for women to fall victim to rape than their male counterparts?’
Click here for the full article.
Thomas Wikstøl has completed his Master of Arts in International Conflict and Security with Distinction at the University of Kent: Brussels School of International Studies. The thesis for the completion of his Master’s programme, which has been summarised in the article entitled “The Silence of Male/Male Rape Victims in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)”, received a distinction.
Prior to moving to Brussels, he received a Bachelor of Arts First Class Honours in Politics and Sociology at Lancaster University, UK, where he also received the Pearson Education / P A Reynolds Prize in International Relations; annually awarded by the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University to the third-year undergraduate registered for the major or combined-major scheme in politics who achieves the best overall performance in international relations combined with good results in at least one or more subjects in theory or comparative politics. While looking for jobs, he is currently volunteering for Save the Children Norway.