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Chechen women in war and exile: changing gender roles in the context of violence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Alice Szczepanikova
Alice Szczepanikova*
Affiliation:
Centre d'étude de la vie politique (Cevipol), Université libre de Bruxelles, CEVIPOL, 44, av. Jeanne, 11ème étage, B 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
*
*Email: alice.szczepanikova@gmail.com
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Extract

The article analyzes Chechen women's everyday experiences of war and violence and outlines their multiple effects on women's roles and identities. Particular attention is paid to how these effects are shaped by generational differences. The study is based on 35 oral history interviews with Chechen women in Austria, Germany, and Poland. The experience of two Russo–Chechen wars reinforced domesticated forms of femininity. It also exposed women to intensified nonmilitary forms of gendered violence. At the same time, some of the traditional roles were transformed, for example, when women became the main breadwinners for their families. Women's heightened realization of their importance in securing the well-being of their families and communities empowered them and created a sense of solidarity and responsibility reaching beyond their households. This has generated a level of insecurity among some sections of Chechen society and the Moscow-backed Chechen administration of Ramzan Kadyrov puts considerable effort in instructing women about their “proper place.” In exile, women's ability to continue fulfilling their gendered responsibilities in a new environment serves as an important coping mechanism. Different generations of women adopt distinct adaptation strategies that relate to their roles during the war as well as to the conditions of their socialization.

Keywords

Chechnyagenderviolencegenerationrefugee women
Type
Research Article
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 43 , Issue 5: Special Section: War, violence, and the military during late socialism and transition , September 2015 , pp. 753 - 770
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

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