The Silent Forces of Agency: War as Experience and Girls in Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front

Abstract

This paper looks at young female soldiers in Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in order to study Christine Sylvester’s concept of war as experience. The common narratives of females who engage in political violence often detail their status as either victims or perpetrators. These frames essentialize women’s experiences of conflict, violence, and politics. Applying the idea of war as experience, the girl soldiers of the RUF can be understood as both victims and perpetrators of violence during times of conflict. This paper identifies how experiences of war can be perceived through the lens of physical experience, emotions of fear and self-security, and the further, ongoing implications of victimization. The RUF case helps explain how one can begin to understand why a girl would engage in violent acts and not just be a powerless victim. Through analyzing interviews conducted by Myriam Denov, it is discovered that victimization can be an opportunity for agency to some degree. There are significant consequences for essentializing women as victims since post-conflict programs often exclude women because they are not seen as ex-soldiers or ex-combatants.