Violence against women : implications for post-conflict reconstruction

This article draws on research undertaken with Rwandan refugee women living in South Africa to argue that the distinction that is often made between genderbased violence and political violence is a largely artificial one that results in women's marginalisation within postconflict reconstruction efforts. My aim is to raise a number of questions about how we understand the violence that women suffer in times of war and peace and the possible continuities and changes that these undergo.