2005/03/01 by Katharine Derderian · 3 citations
Arts and Humanities · #Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics #Armenian #Genocide #The Holocaust #Political science #History #Sociology #Law #Ancient history
paper · doi:10.1093/hgs/dci001
openalex publication_date 2005/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Violence against women was a central feature of the Armenian Genocide. Even before the mass killings, sexual humiliation was used to intimidate the Armenian community. After the murder of the Armenian leadership and men of military age, Ottoman authorities and Ittihadist supporters deported surviving Armenians from Anatolia into the Syrian desert. During this ethnic cleansing, rape, kidnapping, sex slavery, and forced re-marriage became de facto instruments of genocide. Eyewitness accounts and diplomatic reports shed light on the place of gender during genocidal persecution. Although scholarship has only recently begun to explore the issue, the Armenian Genocide offers opportunities for comparative gender studies.