Through the experiences of ten male survivors of wartime sexual violence, “Unheard Voices: Men’s Stories of Overcoming the Trauma of Wartime Sexual Violence” emphasizes the heterogeneity and complexity of lived experiences of male survivors of wartime sexual violence that go beyond the margins of rehabilitation communities. By challenging the socially dominating traditional gender norms of men being strong, thus not affected by Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, through first-hand narrations of male survivors, this book aims to contribute to breaking the tabooization of such topic in private as well as public discourse and the stigma burdening survivors. For this third book (after “I Want to Be Heard” and “Beyond Pain Towards Courage”) covering narrations of wartime experiences, survivors shared their life stories through the oral history research method, making their experiences and stories of resilience publicly available.
In her opening remarks, Feride Rushiti, executive director of the KRCT, stressed the importance of public awareness of the issue of wartime sexual violence, arguing that the practice of wartime sexual violence was not homogeneous and targeted various demographics, including women and girls, men, and boys. However, gender normative roles and patriarchal stereotypes about wartime sexual violence, produce narratives and understandings that it is only women and girls affected, making it difficult to deal with and document the experiences of males affected by CRSV and support them accessing psychological support. By arguing “Silence is not a solution!”, Ms. Rushiti underlined the book’s historical, narrative, and societal importance.
In the panel discussion about the new book, moderated by Korab Krasniqi from forumZFD Kosovo, participants stressed the need for recognition and documentation of the sexual crimes committed against males to overcome stigmatization. When discussing the language of the narrations, Bardhi Bakija, executive director, and editor of Sbunker, said that the stories which he worked had a deep impact on him, showing bigger empathy with the stories which he described as “historical evidence [...] nobody can erase''. On the other hand, Artan Krasniqi, sociologist, and lecturer at the University of Prishtina spoke about the book and how the narratives are not individual but collective and how everyone might have shared the same fate during that time. He highlights how the book illustrates the socioeconomic dimension of life during the 80s and 90s and how the survivors were serving the community when the crime occurred. Xhevahire Balaj of the Governmental Commission for the Recognition and Verification of the Status of Persons Violated during the War spoke about the importance of documentation and compensation of survivors of wartime sexual violence, highlighting the role of the commission in addressing and dealing with male survivors.
The discussion conclusions matched the aims and assumptions of the forumZFD program in Kosovo and the KRCT, encouraging silenced male survivors - due to traditional gender norms and feelings of shame, guilt, powerlessness, and vulnerability - to break the silence and speak up about their experiences. Presenting the book to a greater audience is seen as a contribution towards the social and institutional recognition of experiences of male survivors of wartime sexual violence and the production of social justice as well as a gender-inclusive understanding of war.
Participants of the panel:
Korab Krasniqi (forumZFD program in Kosovo), Feride Rushiti (KRCT Executive Director), Xhevahire Balaj (Governmental Commission for the Recognition and Verification of the Status of Persons Violated during the War), Bardhi Bakija (executive director and editor, Sbunker), Artan Krasniqi (Sociologist and lecturer at the University Prishtina).
