Governance and Social Development Resource Centre

The Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC) supports the knowledge needs of the international development community in relation to governance, conflict and social development. Funded by the UK Department for International Development, the GSDRC aims to help reduce poverty by informing policymaking and enhancing professional knowledge and competencies.

Spotlight:

Girls in Fighting Forces: Moving Beyond Victimhood 

Girls within armed groups have generally been neglected by scholars, governments and policymakers. This Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) paper traces the experiences of girls in armed conflict in Angola, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Uganda. It finds that girls in fighting forces are rendered invisible and marginalised during and after conflict, although they are fundamentally important to armed groups. They experience victimisation, perpetration and insecurity, but are also active agents and resisters.

Access the complete summary and full text

 

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Research in Focus

Ilona Szabó de Carvalho

This month, we are examining Brazilian Perspectives on Human Security with Ilona Szabó de Carvalho from Viva Rio, an NGO based in Rio de Janeiro which promotes peace and development. Whilst Latin America has the lowest level of inter-state armed conflict worldwide, it also has the highest rates of gun-related deaths of any region in the world. Here, Ilona explains how the human security concept can be used as a practical tool to address this epidemic of urban armed violence, with examples from Viva Rio's own work.

To read the full interview, please visit our Research in Focus page.

What is Research in Focus?