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A study on the recognition of victim rights for children born of war

This research project investigates the need for legal recognition of different generations of children born of war.

Family photos of children damaged by fire and war

Ruined photos in a destroyed home of a Muslim family in Shingal (Sinjar) following war with the Islamic State. Photo: Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash.

About the project

This project contributes to theoretical and empirical knowledge on children born of war, tracing how we understand children born of war across history and cultures as perpetrators, security threats or innocent victims, and how they see themselves in this respect, in order to assess the legal and practical implications of a recognition of victimhood for this group.

Children born of war are children conceived in conflict-related sexual violence as well as consensual relationships between a parent who belongs to an armed group or force and a local, civilian parent. More often than not, they face stigma, discrimination and villainized narratives framing them as security threats. While international courts are considering sexual violence crimes in an increasingly comprehensive manner, children born of war are still often underacknowledged in law and policy. This has been the case for children born of war during and after World War II and it remains so today.

The project is part of the EuroWARCHILD project which aims to explore the experiences and needs of three generations of children born of war in Europe. 

Objectives

In a socio-legal approach, this PhD project aims to conduct the first intergenerational and cross-contextual study on the relevance of prosecutorial and transitional justice measures for children born of war.

Selected publications

Project period

The project runs from 2022 to 2025.

Financing

This project is financed by the European Research Council (ERC), located at the Centre for Gender Research (STK) and realised in partnership with the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

Published Nov. 8, 2022 10:12 AM - Last modified Mar. 10, 2023 10:01 PM

Contact

Lina Stotz

Stotz is PhD candidate at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law (IKRS) and is based at the Centre for Gender Research.